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It Can't Happen Here, Sinclair Lewis

Chapter 29-30

CHAPTER XXIX

THE propaganda throughout the country was not all to the New Underground; not even most of it; and though the pamphleteers for the N.U., at home and exiled abroad, included hundreds of the most capable professional journalists of America, they were cramped by a certain respect for facts which never enfeebled the press agents for Corpoism. And the Corpos had a notable staff. It included college presidents, some of the most renowned among the radio announcers who aforetime had crooned their affection for mouth washes and noninsomniac coffee, famous ex-war-correspondents, ex- governors, former vice-presidents of the American Federation of Labor, and no less an artist than the public relations counsel of a princely corporation of electrical-goods manufacturers.

The newspapers everywhere might no longer be so wishily-washily liberal as to print the opinions of non-Corpos; they might give but little news from those old-fashioned and democratic countries, Great Britain, France, and the Scandinavian states; might indeed print almost no foreign news, except as regards the triumphs of Italy in giving Ethiopia good roads, trains on time, freedom from beggars and from men of honor, and all the other spiritual benefactions of Roman civilization. But, on the other hand, never had newspapers shown so many comic strips—the most popular was a very funny one about a preposterous New Underground crank, who wore mortuary black with a high hat decorated with crêpe and who was always being comically beaten up by M.M.'s. Never had there been, even in the days when Mr. Hearst was freeing Cuba, so many large red headlines. Never so many dramatic drawings of murders—the murderers were always notorious anti-Corpos. Never such a wealth of literature, worthy its twenty-four-hour immortality, as the articles proving, and proving by figures, that American wages were universally higher, commodities universally lower-priced, war budgets smaller but the army and its equipment much larger, than ever in history. Never such righteous polemics as the proofs that all non-Corpos were Communists.

Almost daily, Windrip, Sarason, Dr. Macgoblin, Secretary of War Luthorne, or Vice-President Perley Beecroft humbly addressed their Masters, the great General Public, on the radio, and congratulated them on making a new world by their example of American solidarity— marching shoulder to shoulder under the Grand Old Flag, comrades in the blessings of peace and comrades in the joys of war to come.

Much-heralded movies, subsidized by the government (and could there be any better proof of the attention paid by Dr. Macgoblin and the other Nazi leaders to the arts than the fact that movie actors who before the days of the Chief were receiving only fifteen hundred gold dollars a week were now getting five thousand?), showed the M.M.'s driving armored motors at eighty miles an hour, piloting a fleet of one thousand planes, and being very tender to a little girl with a kitten.

Everyone, including Doremus Jessup, had said in 1935, "If there ever is a Fascist dictatorship here, American humor and pioneer independence are so marked that it will be absolutely different from anything in Europe."

For almost a year after Windrip came in, this seemed true. The Chief was photographed playing poker, in shirtsleeves and with a derby on the back of his head, with a newspaperman, a chauffeur, and a pair of rugged steel-workers. Dr. Macgoblin in person led an Elks' brass band and dived in competition with the Atlantic City bathing-beauties. It was reputably reported that M.M.'s apologized to political prisoners for having to arrest them, and that the prisoners joked amiably with the guards... at first.

All that was gone, within a year after the inauguration, and surprised scientists discovered that whips and handcuffs hurt just as sorely in the clear American air as in the miasmic fogs of Prussia.

Doremus, reading the authors he had concealed in the horsehair sofa—the gallant Communist, Karl Billinger, the gallant anti- Communist, Tchernavin, and the gallant neutral, Lorant—began to see something like a biology of dictatorships, all dictatorships. The universal apprehension, the timorous denials of faith, the same methods of arrest—sudden pounding on the door late at night, the squad of police pushing in, the blows, the search, the obscene oaths at the frightened women, the third degree by young snipe of officials, the accompanying blows and then the formal beatings, when the prisoner is forced to count the strokes until he faints, the leprous beds and the sour stew, guards jokingly shooting round and round a prisoner who believes he is being executed, the waiting in solitude to know what will happen, till men go mad and hang themselves—

Thus had things gone in Germany, exactly thus in Soviet Russia, in Italy and Hungary and Poland, Spain and Cuba and Japan and China. Not very different had it been under the blessings of liberty and fraternity in the French Revolution. All dictators followed the same routine of torture, as if they had all read the same manual of sadistic etiquette. And now, in the humorous, friendly, happy-go-lucky land of Mark Twain, Doremus saw the homicidal maniacs having just as good a time as they had had in central Europe.

America followed, too, the same ingenious finances as Europe. Windrip had promised to make everybody richer, and had contrived to make everybody, except for a few hundred bankers and industrialists and soldiers, much poorer. He needed no higher mathematicians to produce his financial statements: any ordinary press agent could do them. To show a 100 per cent economy in military expenditures, while increasing the establishment 700 per cent, it had been necessary only to charge up all expenditures for the Minute Men to non-military departments, so that their training in the art of bayonet-sticking was debited to the Department of Education. To show an increase in average wages one did tricks with "categories of labor" and "required minimum wages," and forgot to state how many workers ever did become entitled to the "minimum," and how much was charged as wages, on the books, for food and shelter for the millions in the labor camps.

It all made dazzling reading. There had never been more elegant and romantic fiction.

Even loyal Corpos began to wonder why the armed forces, army and M.M.'s together, were being so increased. Was a frightened Windrip getting ready to defend himself against a rising of the whole nation? Did he plan to attack all of North and South America and make himself an emperor? Or both? In any case, the forces were so swollen that even with its despotic power of taxation, the Corpo government never had enough. They began to force exports, to practice the "dumping" of wheat, corn, timber, copper, oil, machinery. They increased production, forced it by fines and threats, then stripped the farmer of all he had, for export at depreciated prices. But at home the prices were not depreciated but increased, so that the more we exported, the less the industrial worker in America had to eat. And really zealous County Commissioners took from the farmer (after the patriotic manner of many Mid-Western counties in 1918) even his seed grain, so that he could grow no more, and on the very acres where once he had raised superfluous wheat he now starved for bread. And while he was starving, the Commissioners continued to try to make him pay for the Corpo bonds which he had been made to buy on the instalment plan.

But still, when he did finally starve to death, none of these things worried him.

There were bread lines now in Fort Beulah, once or twice a week.

The hardest phenomenon of dictatorship for a Doremus to understand, even when he saw it daily in his own street, was the steady diminution of gayety among the people.

America, like England and Scotland, had never really been a gay nation. Rather it had been heavily and noisily jocular, with a substratum of worry and insecurity, in the image of its patron saint, Lincoln of the rollicking stories and the tragic heart. But at least there had been hearty greetings, man to man; there had been clamorous jazz for dancing, and the lively, slangy catcalls of young people, and the nervous blatting of tremendous traffic.

All that false cheerfulness lessened now, day by day.

The Corpos found nothing more convenient to milk than public pleasures. After the bread had molded, the circuses were closed. There were taxes or increased taxes on motorcars, movies, theaters, dances, and ice-cream sodas. There was a tax on playing a phonograph or radio in any restaurant. Lee Sarason, himself a bachelor, conceived of super-taxing bachelors and spinsters, and contrariwise of taxing all weddings at which more than five persons were present.

Even the most reckless youngsters went less and less to public entertainments, because no one not ostentatiously in uniform cared to be noticed, these days. It was impossible to sit in a public place without wondering which spies were watching you. So all the world stayed home—and jumped anxiously at every passing footstep, every telephone ring, every tap of an ivy sprig on the window.

The score of people definitely pledged to the New Underground were the only persons to whom Doremus dared talk about anything more incriminating than whether it was likely to rain, though he had been the friendliest gossip in town. Always it had taken ten minutes longer than was humanly possible for him to walk to the Informer office, because he stopped on every corner to ask after someone's sick wife, politics, potato crop, opinions about Deism, or luck at fishing.

As he read of rebels against the régime who worked in Rome, in Berlin, he envied them. They had thousands of government agents, unknown by sight and thus the more dangerous, to watch them; but also they had thousands of comrades from whom to seek encouragement, exciting personal tattle, shop talk, and the assurance that they were not altogether idiotic to risk their lives for a mistress so ungrateful as Revolution. Those secret flats in great cities— perhaps some of them really were filled with the rosy glow they had in fiction. But the Fort Beulahs, anywhere in the world, were so isolated, the conspirators so uninspiringly familiar one to another, that only by inexplicable faith could one go on.

Now that Lorinda was gone, there certainly was nothing very diverting in sneaking round corners, trying to look like somebody else, merely to meet Buck and Dan Wilgus and that good woman, Sissy!

Buck and he and the rest—they were such amateurs. They needed the guidance of veteran agitators like Mr. Ailey and Mr. Bailey and Mr. Cailey.

Their feeble pamphlets, their smearily printed newspaper, seemed futile against the enormous blare of Corpo propaganda. It seemed worse than futile, it seemed insane, to risk martyrdom in a world where Fascists persecuted Communists, Communists persecuted Social-Democrats, Social-Democrats persecuted everybody who would stand for it; where "Aryans" who looked like Jews persecuted Jews who looked like Aryans and Jews persecuted their debtors; where every statesman and clergyman praised Peace and brightly asserted that the only way to get Peace was to get ready for War.

What conceivable reason could one have for seeking after righteousness in a world which so hated righteousness? Why do anything except eat and read and make love and provide for sleep that should be secure against disturbance by armed policemen?

He never did find any particularly good reason. He simply went on.

In June, when the Fort Beulah cell of the New Underground had been carrying on for some three months, Mr. Francis Tasbrough, the golden quarryman, called on his neighbor, Doremus.

"How are you, Frank?"

"Fine, Remus. How's the old carping critic?"

"Fine, Frank. Still carping. Fine carping weather, at that. Have a cigar?"

"Thanks. Got a match? Thanks. Saw Sissy yesterday. She looks fine."

"Yes, she's fine. I saw Malcolm driving by yesterday. How did he like it in the Provincial University, at New York?"

"Oh, fine—fine. He says the athletics are grand. They're getting Primo Carnera over to coach in tennis next year—I think it's Carnera—I think it's tennis—but anyway, the athletics are fine there, Malcolm says. Say, uh, Remus, there's something I been meaning to ask you. I, uh—The fact is—I want you to be sure and not repeat this to anybody. I know you can be trusted with a secret, even if you are a newspaperman—or used to be, I mean, but— The fact is (and this is inside stuff; official), there's going to be some governmental promotions all along the line—this is confidential, and it comes to me straight from the Provincial Commissioner, Colonel Haik. Luthorne is finished as Secretary of War—he's a nice fellow, but he hasn't got as much publicity for the Corpos out of his office as the Chief expected him to. Haik is to have his job, and also take over the position of High Marshal of the Minute Men from Lee Sarason—I suppose Sarason has too much to do. Well then, John Sullivan Reek is slated to be Provincial Commissioner; that leaves the office of District Commissioner for Vermont-New Hampshire empty, and I'm one of the people being seriously considered. I've done a lot of speaking for the Corpos, and I know Dewey Haik very well—I was able to advise him about erecting public buildings. Of course there's none of the County Commissioners around here that measure up to a district commissionership—not even Dr. Staubmeyer—certainly not Shad Ledue. Now if you could see your way clear to throw in with me, your influence would help—"

"Good heavens, Frank, the worst thing you could have happen, if you want the job, is to have me favor you! The Corpos don't like me. Oh, of course they know I'm loyal, not one of these dirty, sneaking anti-Corpos, but I never made enough noise in the paper to please 'em."

"That's just it, Remus! I've got a really striking idea. Even if they don't like you, the Corpos respect you, and they know how long you've been important in the State. We'd all be greatly pleased if you came out and joined us. Now just suppose you did so and let people know that it was my influence that converted you to Corpoism. That might give me quite a leg-up. And between old friends like us, Remus, I can tell you that this job of District Commissioner would be useful to me in the quarry business, aside from the social advantages. And if I got the position, I can promise you that I'd either get the Informer taken away from Staubmeyer and that dirty little stinker, Itchitt, and given back to you to run absolutely as you pleased—providing, of course, you had the sense to keep from criticizing the Chief and the State. Or, if you'd rather, I think I could probably wangle a job for you as military judge (they don't necessarily have to be lawyers) or maybe President Peaseley's job as District Director of Education— you'd have a lot of fun out of that!—awfully amusing the way all the teachers kiss the Director's foot! Come on, old man! Think of all the fun we used to have in the old days! Come to your senses and face the inevitable and join us and fix up some good publicity for me. How about it—huh, huh?"

Doremus reflected that the worst trial of a revolutionary propagandist was not risking his life, but having to be civil to people like Future-Commissioner Tasbrough.

He supposed that his voice was polite as he muttered, "Afraid I'm too old to try it, Frank," but apparently Tasbrough was offended. He sprang up and tramped away grumbling, "Oh, very well then!"

"And I didn't give him a chance to say anything about being realistic or breaking eggs to make an omelet," regretted Doremus.

The next day Malcolm Tasbrough, meeting Sissy on the street, made his beefy most of cutting her. At the time the Jessups thought that was very amusing. They thought the occasion less amusing when Malcolm chased little David out of the Tasbrough apple orchard, which he had been wont to use as the Great Western Forest where at any time one was rather more than likely to meet Kit Carson, Robin Hood, and Colonel Lindbergh hunting together.

Having only Frank's word for it, Doremus could do no more than hint in Vermont Vigilance that Colonel Dewey Haik was to be made Secretary of War, and give Haik's actual military record, which included the facts that as a first lieutenant in France in 1918, he had been under fire for less than fifteen minutes, and that his one real triumph had been commanding state militia during a strike in Oregon, when eleven strikers had been shot down, five of them in the back.

Then Doremus forgot Tasbrough completely and happily.

CHAPTER XXX

BUT worse than having to be civil to the fatuous Mr. Tasbrough was keeping his mouth shut when, toward the end of June, a newspaperman at Battington, Vermont, was suddenly arrested as editor of Vermont Vigilance and author of all the pamphlets by Doremus and Lorinda. He went to concentration camp. Buck and Dan Wilgus and Sissy prevented Doremus from confessing, and from even going to call on the victim, and when, with Lorinda no longer there as confidante, Doremus tried to explain it all to Emma, she said, Wasn't it lucky that the government had blamed somebody else!

Emma had worked out the theory that the N.U. activity was some sort of a naughty game which kept her boy, Doremus, busy after his retirement. He was mildly nagging the Corpos. She wasn't sure that it was really nice to nag the legal authorities, but still, for a little fellow, her Doremus had always been surprisingly spunky—just like (she often confided to Sissy) a spunky little Scotch terrier she had owned when she was a girl—Mr. McNabbit its name had been, a little Scotch terrier, but my! so spunky he acted like he was a regular lion!

She was rather glad that Lorinda was gone, though she liked Lorinda and worried about how well she might do with a tea room in a new town, a town where she had never lived. But she just couldn't help feeling (she confided not only to Sissy but to Mary and Buck) that Lorinda, with all her wild crazy ideas about women's rights, and workmen being just as good as their employers, had a bad influence on Doremus's tendency to show off and shock people. (She mildly wondered why Buck and Sissy snorted so. She hadn't meant to say anything particularly funny!)

For too many years she had been used to Doremus's irregular routine to have her sleep disturbed by his returning from Buck's at the improper time to which she referred as "at all hours," but she did wish he would be "more on time for his meals," and she gave up the question of why, these days, he seemed to like to associate with Ordinary People like John Pollikop, Dan Wilgus, Daniel Babcock, and Pete Vutong—my! some people said Pete couldn't even read and write, and Doremus so educated and all! Why didn't he see more of lovely people like Frank Tasbrough and Professor Staubmeyer and Mr. R. C. Crowley and this new friend of his, the Hon. John Sullivan Reek?

Why couldn't he keep out of politics? She'd always SAID they were no occupation for a gentleman!

Like David, now ten years old (and like twenty or thirty million other Americans, from one to a hundred, but all of the same mental age), Emma thought the marching M.M.'s were a very fine show indeed, so much like movies of the Civil War, really quite educational; and while of course if Doremus didn't care for President Windrip, she was opposed to him also, yet didn't Mr. Windrip speak beautifully about pure language, church attendance, low taxation, and the American flag?

The realists, the makers of omelets, did climb, as Tasbrough had predicted. Colonel Dewey Haik, Commissioner of the Northeastern Province, became Secretary of War and High Marshal of M.M.'s, while the former secretary, Colonel Luthorne, retired to Kansas and the real-estate business and was well spoken of by all business men for being thus willing to give up the grandeur of Washington for duty toward practical affairs and his family, who were throughout the press depicted as having frequently missed him. It was rumored in N.U. cells that Haik might go higher even than Secretary of War; that Windrip was worried by the forced growth of a certain effeminacy in Lee Sarason under the arc light of glory.

Francis Tasbrough was elevated to District Commissionership at Hanover. But Mr. Sullivan Reek did not in series go on to be Provincial Commissioner. It was said that he had too many friends among just the old-line politicians whose jobs the Corpos were so enthusiastically taking. No, the new Provincial Commissioner, viceroy and general, was Military Judge Effingham Swan, the one man whom Mary Jessup Greenhill hated more than she did Shad Ledue.

Swan was a splendid commissioner. Within three days after taking office, he had John Sullivan Reek and seven assistant district commissioners arrested, tried, and imprisoned, all within twenty-four hours, and an eighty-year-old woman, mother of a New Underground agent but not otherwise accused of wickedness, penned in a concentration camp for the more desperate traitors. It was in a disused quarry which was always a foot deep in water. After he had sentenced her, Swan was said to have bowed to her most courteously.

The New Underground sent out warning, from headquarters in Montreal, for a general tightening up of precautions against being caught distributing propaganda. Agents were disappearing rather alarmingly.

Buck scoffed, but Doremus was nervous. He noticed that the same strange man, ostensibly a drummer, a large man with unpleasant eyes, had twice got into conversation with him in the Hotel Wessex lobby, and too obviously hinted that he was anti-Corpo and would love to have Doremus say something nasty about the Chief and the M.M.'s.

Doremus became cautious about going out to Buck's. He parked his car in half-a-dozen different wood-roads and crept afoot to the secret basement.

On the evening of the twenty-eighth of June, 1938, he had a notion that he was being followed, so closely did a car with red-tinted headlights, anxiously watched in his rear-view mirror, stick behind him as he took the Keezmet highway down to Buck's. He turned up a side road, down another. The spy car followed. He stopped, in a driveway on the left-hand side of the road, and angrily stepped out, in time to see the other car pass, with a man who looked like Shad Ledue driving. He swung round then and, without concealment, bolted for Buck's.

In the basement, Buck was contentedly tying up bundles of the Vigilance, while Father Perefixe, in his shirtsleeves, vest open and black dickey swinging beneath his reversed collar, sat at a plain pine table, writing a warning to New England Catholics that though the Corpos had, unlike the Nazis in Germany, been shrewd enough to flatter prelates, they had lowered the wages of French-Canadian Catholic mill hands and imprisoned their leaders just as severely as in the case of the avowedly wicked Protestants.

Perefixe smiled up at Doremus, stretched, lighted a pipe, and chuckled, "As a great ecclesiast, Doremus, is it your opinion that I shall be committing a venial or a mortal sin by publishing this little masterpiece—the work of my favorite author—without the Bishop's imprimatur?"

"Stephen! Buck! I think they're on to us! Maybe we've got to fold up already and get the press and type out of here!" He told of being shadowed. He telephoned to Julian, at M.M. headquarters, and (since there were too many French-Canadian inspectors about for him to dare to use his brand of French) he telephoned in the fine new German he had been learning by translation:

"Denks du ihr Freunds dere haben a Idee die letzt Tag von vot ve mach here?"

And the college-bred Julian had so much international culture as to be able to answer: "Ja, Ich mein ihr vos sachen morning free. Look owid!"

How could they move? Where?

Dan Wilgus arrived, in panic, an hour after.

"Say! They're watching us!" Doremus, Buck, and the priest gathered round the black viking of a man. "Just now when I came in I thought I heard something in the bushes, here in the yard, near the house, and before I thought, I flashed my torch on him, and by golly if it wasn't Aras Dilley, and not in uniform—and you know how Aras loves his God—excuse me, Father—how he loves his uniform. He was disguised! Sure! In overalls! Looked like a jackass that's gone under a clothes-line! Well, he'd been rubbering at the house. Course these curtains are drawn, but I don't know what he saw and—"

The three large men looked to Doremus for orders.

"We got to get all this stuff out of here! Quick! Take it and hide it in Truman Webb's attic. Stephen: get John Pollikop and Mungo Kitterick and Pete Vutong on the phone—get 'em here, quick— tell John to stop by and tell Julian to come as soon as he can. Dan: start dismantling the press. Buck: bundle up all the literature." As he spoke, Doremus was wrapping type in scraps of newspaper. And at three next morning, before light, Pollikop was driving toward Truman Webb's farmhouse the entire equipment of the New Underground printing establishment, in Buck's old farm truck, from which blatted, for the benefit of all ears that might be concerned, two frightened calves.

Next day Julian ventured to invite his superior officers, Shad Ledue and Emil Staubmeyer, to a poker session at Buck's. They came, with alacrity. They found Buck, Doremus, Mungo Kitterick, and Doc Itchitt—the last an entirely innocent participant in certain deceptions.

They played in Buck's parlor. But during the evening Buck announced that anyone wanting beer instead of whisky would find it in a tub of ice in the basement, and that anyone wishing to wash his hands would find two bathrooms upstairs.

Shad hastily went for beer. Doc Itchitt even more hastily went to wash his hands. Both of them were gone much longer than one would have expected.

When the party broke up and Buck and Doremus were alone, Buck shrieked with bucolic mirth: "I could scarcely keep a straight face when I heard good old Shad opening the cupboards and taking a fine long look-see for pamphlets down in the basement. Well, Cap'n Jessup, that about ends their suspicion of this place as a den of traitors, I guess! God, but isn't Shad dumb!"

This was at perhaps 3 A.M. on the morning of June thirtieth.

Doremus stayed home, writing sedition, all the afternoon and evening of the thirtieth, hiding the sheets under pages of newspaper in the Franklin stove in his study, so that he could touch them off with a match in case of a raid—a trick he had learned from Karl Billinger's anti-Nazi Fatherland.

This new opus was devoted to murders ordered by Commissioner Effingham Swan.

On the first and second of July, when he sauntered uptown, he was rather noticeably encountered by the same weighty drummer who had picked him up in the Hotel Wessex lobby before, and who now insisted on their having a drink together. Doremus escaped, and was conscious that he was being followed by an unknown young man, flamboyant in an apricot-colored polo shirt and gray bags, whom he recognized as having worn M.M. uniform at a parade in June. On July third, rather panicky, Doremus drove to Truman Webb's, taking an hour of zigzagging to do it, and warned Truman not to permit any more printing till he should have a release.

When Doremus went home, Sissy lightly informed him that Shad had insisted she go out to an M.M. picnic with him on the next afternoon, the Fourth, and that, information or no, she had refused. She was afraid of him, surrounded by his ready playmates.

That night of the third, Doremus slept only in sick spasms. He was reasonlessly convinced that he would be arrested before dawn. The night was overcast and electric and uneasy. The crickets sounded as though they were piping under compulsion, in a rhythm of terror. He lay throbbing to their sound. He wanted to flee—but how and where, and how could he leave his threatened family? For the first time in years he wished that he were sleeping beside the unperturbable Emma, beside her small earthy hillock of body. He laughed at himself. What could Emma do to protect him against Minute Men? Just scream! And what then? But he, who always slept with his door shut, to protect his sacred aloneness, popped out of bed to open the door, that he might have the comfort of hearing her breathe, and the fiercer Mary stir in slumber, and Sissy's occasional young whimper.

He was awakened before dawn by early firecrackers. He heard the tramping of feet. He lay taut. Then he awoke again, at seven-thirty, and was slightly angry that nothing happened.

The M.M.'s brought out their burnished helmets and all the rideable horses in the neighborhood—some of them known as most superior plow-horses—for the great celebration of the New Freedom on the morning of Fourth of July. There was no post of the American Legion in the jaunty parade. That organization had been completely suppressed, and a number of American Legion leaders had been shot. Others had tactfully taken posts in the M.M. itself.

The troops, in hollow square, with the ordinary citizenry humbly jammed in behind them and the Jessup family rather hoity-toity on the outskirts, were addressed by Ex-Governor Isham Hubbard, a fine ruddy old rooster who could say "Cock-a-doodle-do" with more profundity than any fowl since Æsop. He announced that the Chief had extraordinary resemblances to Washington, Jefferson, and William B. McKinley, and to Napoleon on his better days.

The trumpets blew, the M.M.'s gallantly marched off nowhere in particular, and Doremus went home, feeling much better after his laugh. Following noon dinner, since it was raining, he proposed a game of contract to Emma, Mary, and Sissy—with Mrs. Candy as volunteer umpire.

But the thunder of the hill country disquieted him. Whenever he was dummy, he ambled to a window. The rain ceased; the sun came out for a false, hesitating moment, and the wet grass looked unreal. Clouds with torn bottoms, like the hem of a ragged skirt, were driven down the valley, cutting off the bulk of Mount Faithful; the sun went out as in a mammoth catastrophe; and instantly the world was in unholy darkness, which poured into the room.

"Why, it's quite dark, isn't it! Sissy, turn on the lights," said Emma.

The rain attacked again, in a crash, and to Doremus, looking out, the whole knowable world seemed washed out. Through the deluge he saw a huge car flash, the great wheels throwing up fountains. "Wonder what make of car that is? Must be a sixteen-cylinder Cadillac, I guess," reflected Doremus. The car swerved into his own gateway, almost knocking down a gatepost, and stopped with a jar at his porch. From it leaped five Minute Men, black waterproof capes over their uniforms. Before he could quite get through the reflection that he recognized none of them, they were there in the room. The leader, an ensign (and most certainly Doremus did not recognize him) marched up to Doremus, looked at him casually, and struck him full in the face.

Except for the one light pink of the bayonet when he had been arrested before, except for an occasional toothache or headache, or a smart when he had banged a fingernail, Doremus Jessup had not for thirty years known authentic pain. It was as incredible as it was horrifying, this torture in his eyes and nose and crushed mouth. He stood bent, gasping, and the Ensign again smashed his face, and observed, "You are under arrest."

Mary had launched herself on the Ensign, was hitting at him with a china ash tray. Two M.M.'s dragged her off, threw her on the couch, and one of them pinned her there. The other two guards were bulking over the paralyzed Emma, the galvanized Sissy.

Doremus vomited suddenly and collapsed, as though he were dead drunk.

He was conscious that the five M.M.'s were yanking the books from the shelves and hurling them on the floor, so that the covers split, and with their pistol butts smashing vases and lamp shades and small occasional tables. One of them tattooed a rough M M on the white paneling above the fireplace with shots from his automatic.

The Ensign said only, "Careful, Jim," and kissed the hysterical Sissy.

Doremus struggled to get up. An M.M. kicked him in the elbow. It felt like death itself, and Doremus writhed on the floor. He heard them tramping upstairs. He remembered then that his manuscript about the murders by Provincial Commissioner Effingham Swan was hidden in the Franklin stove in his study.

The sound of their smashing of furniture in the bedrooms on the second floor was like that of a dozen wood-choppers gone mad.

In all his agony, Doremus struggled to get up—to set fire to the papers in the stove before they should be found. He tried to look at his women. He could make out Mary, tied to the couch. (When had that ever happened?) But his vision was too blurred, his mind too bruised, to see anything clearly. Staggering, sometimes creeping on his hands and knees, he did actually get past the men in the bedrooms and up the stairs to the third floor and his study.

He was in time to see the Ensign throwing his best-beloved books and his letter files, accumulated these twenty years, out of the study window, to see him search the papers in the Franklin stove, look up with cheerful triumph and cackle, "Nice piece you've written here, I guess, Jessup. Commissioner Swan will love to see it!"

"I demand—see—Commissioner Ledue—Dist' Commissioner Tasbrough— friends of mine," stammered Doremus.

"Don't know a thing about them. I'm running this show," the Ensign chuckled, and slapped Doremus, not very painfully, merely with a shamefulness as great as Doremus's when he realized that he had been so cowardly as to appeal to Shad and Francis. He did not open his mouth again, did not whimper nor even amuse the troopers by vainly appealing on behalf of the women, as he was hustled down two flights of stairs—they threw him down the lower flight and he landed on his raw shoulder—and out to the big car.

The M.M. driver, who had been waiting behind the wheel, already had the engine running. The car whined away, threatening every instant to skid. But the Doremus who had been queasy about skidding did not notice. What could he do about it, anyway? He was helpless between two troopers in the back seat, and his powerlessness to make the driver slow up seemed part of all his powerlessness before the dictator's power... he who had always so taken it for granted that in his dignity and social security he was just slightly superior to laws and judges and policemen, to all the risks and pain of ordinary workers.

He was unloaded, like a balky mule, at the jail entrance of the courthouse. He resolved that when he was led before Shad he would so rebuke the scoundrel that he would not forget it. But Doremus was not taken into the courthouse. He was kicked toward a large, black-painted, unlettered truck by the entrance—literally kicked, while even in his bewildered anguish he speculated, "I wonder which is worse?—the physical pain of being kicked, or the mental humiliation of being turned into a slave? Hell! Don't be sophistical! It's the pain in the behind that hurts most!"

He was hiked up a stepladder into the back of the truck.

From the unlighted interior a moan, "My God, not you too, Dormouse!" It was the voice of Buck Titus, and with him as prisoners were Truman Webb and Dan Wilgus. Dan was in handcuffs, because he had fought so.

The four men were too sore to talk much as they felt the truck lurch away and they were thrown against one another. Once Doremus spoke truthfully, "I don't know how to tell you how ghastly sorry I am to have got you into this!" and once he lied, when Buck groaned, "Did those ——- ——-hurt the girls?"

They must have ridden for three hours. Doremus was in such a coma of suffering that even though his back winced as it bounced against the rough floor and his face was all one neuralgia, he drowsed and woke to terror, drowsed and woke, drowsed and woke to his own helpless wailing.

The truck stopped. The doors were opened on lights thick among white brick buildings. He hazily saw that they were on the one-time Dartmouth campus—headquarters now of the Corpo District Commissioner.

That commissioner was his old acquaintance Francis Tasbrough! He would be released! They would be freed, all four!

The incredulity of his humiliation cleared away. He came out of his sick fear like a shipwrecked man sighting an approaching boat.

But he did not see Tasbrough. The M.M.'s, silent save for mechanical cursing, drove him into a hallway, into a cell which had once been part of a sedate classroom, left him with a final clout on the head. He dropped on a wooden pallet with a straw pillow and was instantly asleep. He was too dazed—he who usually looked recordingly at places—to note then or afterward what his cell was like, except that it appeared to be filled with sulphuric fumes from a locomotive engine.

When he came to, his face seemed frozen stiff. His coat was torn, and foul with the smell of vomit. He felt degraded, as though he had done something shameful.

His door was violently opened, a dirt-clotted bowl of feeble coffee, with a crust of bread faintly smeared with oleomargarine, was thrust at him, and after he had given them up, nauseated, he was marched out into the corridor, by two guards, just as he wanted to go to the toilet. Even that he could forget in the paralysis of fear. One guard seized him by the trim small beard and yanked it, laughing very much. "Always did want to see whether a billygoat whisker would pull out or not!" snickered the guard. While he was thus tormented, Doremus received a crack behind his ear from the other man, and a scolding command, "Come on, goat! Want us to milk you? You dirty little so-and-so! What you in for? You look like a little Kike tailor, you little ——-"

"Him?" the other scoffed. "Naw! He's some kind of a half-eared hick newspaper editor—they'll sure shoot him—sedition—but I hope they'll beat hell out of him first for being such a bum editor."

"Him? An editor? Say! Listen! I got a swell idea. Hey! Fellas!" Four or five other M.M.'s, half dressed, looked out from a room down the hall. "This-here is a writing-fellow! I'm going to make him show us how he writes! Lookit!"

The guard dashed down the corridor to a door with the sign "Gents" hung out in front of it, came back with paper, not clean, threw it in front of Doremus, and yammered, "Come on, boss. Show us how you write your pieces! Come on, write us a piece—with your nose!" He was iron-strong. He pressed Doremus's nose down against the filthy paper and held it there, while his mates giggled. They were interrupted by an officer, commanding, though leniently, "Come on, boys, cut out the monkeyshines and take this ——-to the bull pen. Trial this morning."

Doremus was led to a dirty room in which half-a-dozen prisoners were waiting. One of them was Buck Titus. Over one eye Buck had a slatternly bandage which had so loosened as to show that his forehead was cut to the bone. Buck managed to wink jovially. Doremus tried, vainly, to keep from sobbing.

He waited an hour, standing, arms tight at his side, at the demands of an ugly-faced guard, snapping a dog whip with which he twice slashed Doremus when his hands fell lax.

Buck was led into the trial room just before him. The door was closed. Doremus heard Buck cry out terribly, as though he had been wounded to death. The cry faded into a choked gasping. When Buck was led out of the inner room, his face was as dirty and as pale as his bandage, over which blood was now creeping. The man at the door of the inner room jerked his thumb sharply at Doremus, and snarled, "You're NEXT!"

Now he would face Tasbrough!

But in the small room into which he had been taken—and he was confused, because somehow he had expected a large courtroom—there was only the Ensign who had arrested him yesterday, sitting at a table, running through papers, while a stolid M.M. stood on either side of him, rigid, hand on pistol holster.

The Ensign kept him waiting, then snapped with disheartening suddenness, "Your name!"

"You know it!"

The two guards beside Doremus each hit him.

"Your name?"

"Doremus Jessup."

"You're a Communist!"

"No I'm not!"

"Twenty-five lashes—and the oil."

Not believing, not understanding, Doremus was rushed across the room, into a cellar beyond. A long wooden table there was dark with dry blood, stank with dry blood. The guards seized Doremus, sharply jerked his head back, pried open his jaws, and poured in a quart of castor oil. They tore off his garments above the belt, flung them on the sticky floor. They threw him face downward on the long table and began to lash him with a one-piece steel fishing rod. Each stroke cut into the flesh of his back, and they beat him slowly, relishing it, to keep him from fainting too quickly. But he was unconscious when, to the guards' great diversion, the castor oil took effect. Indeed he did not know it till he found himself limp on a messy piece of gunnysacking on the floor of his cell.

They awakened him twice during the night to demand, "You're a Communist, heh? You better admit it! We're going to beat the living tar out of you till you do!"

Though he was sicker than he had ever been in his life, yet he was also angrier; too angry to admit anything whatever, even to save his wrecked life. He simply snarled "No." But on the third beating he savagely wondered if "No" was now a truthful answer. After each questioning he was pounded again with fists, but not lashed with the steel rod, because the headquarters doctor had forbidden it.

He was a sporty-looking young doctor in plus-fours. He yawned at the guards, in the blood-reeking cellar, "Better cut out the lashes or this ——-will pass out on you."

Doremus raised his head from the table to gasp, "You call yourself a doctor, and you associate with these murderers?"

"Oh, shut up, you little ——-! Dirty traitors like you deserve to be beaten to death—and maybe you will be, but I think the boys ought to save you for the trial!" The doctor showed his scientific mettle by twisting Doremus's ear till it felt as though it were torn off, chuckled, "Go to it, boys," and ambled away, ostentatiously humming.

For three nights he was questioned and lashed—once, late at night, by guards who complained of the inhuman callousness of their officers in making them work so late. They amused themselves by using an old harness strap, with a buckle on it, to beat him.

He almost broke down when the examining Ensign declared that Buck Titus had confessed their illegal propaganda, and narrated so many details of the work that Doremus could almost have believed in the confession. He did not listen. He told himself, "No! Buck would die before he'd confess anything. It's all Aras Dilley's spying."

The Ensign cooed, "Now if you'll just have the sense to copy your friend Titus and tell us who's in the conspiracy besides him and you and Wilgus and Webb, we'll let you go. We know, all right—oh, we know the whole plot!—but we just want to find out whether you've finally come to your senses and been converted, my little friend. Now who else was there? Just give us their names. We'll let you go. Or would you like the castor oil and the whip again?"

Doremus did not answer.

"Ten lashes," said the Ensign.

He was chased out for half an hour's walk on the campus every afternoon—probably because he would have preferred lying on his hard cot, trying to keep still enough so that his heart would stop its deathly hammering. Half a hundred prisoners marched there, round and round senselessly. He passed Buck Titus. To salute him would have meant a blow from the guards. They greeted each other with quick eyelids, and when he saw those untroubled spaniel eyes, Doremus knew that Buck had not squealed.

And in the exercise yard he saw Dan Wilgus, but Dan was not walking free; he was led out from the torture rooms by guards, and with his crushed nose, his flattened ear, he looked as though he had been pounded by a prizefighter. He seemed partly paralyzed. Doremus tried to get information about Dan from a guard in his cell corridor. The guard—a handsome, clear-cheeked young man, noted in a valley of the White Mountains as a local beau, and very kind to his mother—laughed, "Oh, your friend Wilgus? That chump thinks he can lick his weight in wildcats. I hear he always tries to soak the guards. They'll take that out of him, all right!"

Doremus thought, that night—he could not be sure, but he thought he heard Dan wailing, half the night. Next morning he was told that Dan, who had always been so disgusted when he had had to set up the news of a weakling's suicide, had hanged himself in his cell.

Then, unexpectedly, Doremus was taken into a room, this time reasonably large, a former English classroom turned into a court, for his trial.

But it was not District Commissioner Francis Tasbrough who was on the bench, nor any Military Judge, but no less a Protector of the People than the great new Provincial Commissioner, Effingham Swan.

Swan was looking at Doremus's article about him as Doremus was led up to stand before the bench. He spoke—and this harsh, tired-looking man was no longer the airy Rhodes Scholar who had sported with Doremus once like a boy pulling the wings off flies.

"Jessup, do you plead guilty to seditious activities?"

"Why—" Doremus looked helplessly about for something in the way of legal counsel.

"Commissioner Tasbrough!" called Swan.

So at last Doremus did see his boyhood playmate.

Tasbrough did nothing so commendable as to avoid Doremus's eyes. Indeed he looked at Doremus directly, and most affably, as he spoke his piece:

"Your Excellency, it gives me great pain to have to expose this man, Jessup, whom I have known all my life, and tried to help, but he always was a smart-aleck—he was a laughing-stock in Fort Beulah for the way he tried to show off as a great political leader!—and when the Chief was elected, he was angry because he didn't get any political office, and he went about everywhere trying to disaffect people—I have heard him do so myself."

"That's enough. Thanks. County Commissioner Ledue... Captain Ledue, is it or is it not true that the man Jessup tried to persuade you to join a violent plot against my person?"

But Shad did not look at Doremus as he mumbled, "It's true."

Swan crackled, "Gentlemen, I think that that, plus the evidence contained in the prisoner's own manuscript, which I hold here, is sufficient testimony. Prisoner, if it weren't for your age and your damn silly senile weakness, I'd sentence you to a hundred lashes, as I do all the other Communists like you that threaten the Corporate State. As it is, I sentence you to be held in concentration camp, at the will of the Court, but with a minimum sentence of seventeen years." Doremus calculated rapidly. He was sixty-two now. He would be seventy-nine then. He never would see freedom again. "And, in the power of issuing emergency decrees, conferred upon me as Provincial Commissioner, I also sentence you to death by shooting, but I suspend that sentence—though only until such time as you may be caught trying to escape! And I hope you'll have just lots and lots of time in prison, Jessup, to think about how clever you were in this entrancing article you wrote about me! And to remember that any nasty cold morning they may take you out in the rain and shoot you." He ended with a mild suggestion to the guards: "And twenty lashes!"

Two minutes later they had forced castor oil down him; he lay trying to bite at the stained wood of the whipping-table; and he could hear the whish of the steel fishing rod as a guard playfully tried it out in the air before bringing it down across the crisscross wounds of his raw back.

#hellsitesonlybookclub #bookblr #sinclair lewis

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seasonofthewicth · 3 years ago

Text

nobody does it like you do - act 2

Thank you so much for all your reactions to part 1! I hope you enjoy part two just as much :)

CW: mentions of past minor character death (incl. a pregnant woman)

7.3k - masterlist - ao3

Her first day of shooting isn’t great. It’s not bad by a long way, but it could have easily been better. They’re on location in a forest somewhere in the outskirts of Rifthold and she didn’t even know there were places in the city like this, she’d assumed it was all the sprawling metropolis of skyscrapers and crowded streets, but apparently not.

She’s cold. There’s a machine beating down torrents of fake rain on her and Fenrys where they stand opposite each other on the muddy path through the trees, they’re filming the scene where their characters first meet. Her feet are soggy inside the canvas trainers she’s wearing and they keep spraying water on her hair to keep the wet look running throughout all of the takes and she hates it. She’s uncomfortable and stiff but she comforts herself with the knowledge that Fenrys is the same if the frown he wears whenever the camera isn’t on him is anything to go by.

It helps, barely.

She keeps having to spit water out of her mouth between lines, she swears it never rains this heavily in real life but who is she to comment, and she watches Rowan’s lips twist in displeasure where he sits behind the camera every time she does it. Aelin’s not sure what else she’s supposed to do, he can sit there out of the line of the water all fine, but she can’t speak with her mouth full.

It can take time to fall into the natural rhythm of shooting a new project, even the shitty ones she’s done in the past have shown her that, but there’s something about the way Rowan watches her that prickles the back of her neck, his stare intense and heavy as he watches, that adds the pressure. She wants to show him that she can do this. She wants his approval.

She ignores the reasons why.

After they finish and Rowan has called cut she sulks back to her trailer, she’s only just managed to change out of her sodden clothes when there’s a knock at the door. It’s Fenrys, warm and dry now in his own change of clothes.

They’ve sort of become friends recently, after swapping numbers after the table read he had texted her first. The studio has put him in the same complex as her and they’ve shared a car back there a couple of times after some of their meetings. She likes him a lot actually, and while she knows his reputation of infamy with the ladies follows him around like a bad smell, she feels comfortable with him.

“That could have gone better,” he tells her as he flops down onto the two-seater sofa at the end of her trailer, the other half has a mound of clothes dumped on it that she hasn’t bothered to sort through yet.

She just shoots him a look that she hopes says tell me about it.

“Tomorrow will be better,” he tells her, reassuringly. He would know she supposes, he has far more experience than her.

“I hope so.”

“How’re you finding it so far, working with Rowan?” he asks, and she frowns, bristling at the fact that he somehow knows the worst question to ask already. Aelin doesn’t think she’s behaved weirdly around Rowan since the day at the table read, in fact she’s tried to avoid him where possible. Maybe that’s it.

“Fine,” she says, but that’s not quite true. It messes with her in a dangerous way every time she knows he’s watching her. She should be able to turn that part of her brain off during a scene, she trained for years to learn how to do that, but he gets to her. She’s working on it.

Fenrys laughs, seeing right through her.

“He’s not bad once you get to know him, the first time we worked together I thought he was a total dick.” She gives him the same look as before as she clears the clothes and sits down next to him.

“I swear he’s not that bad. He’s just-” Fenrys pauses, weighing her up with a look, and something that he takes in from the way she stands, gnawing on her lower lip with her hair still wet, has him saying; “He’s got a lot riding on this.”

“Why?”

It doesn’t feel like he has a lot riding on this, his last piece was nominated for the Oscars, how much higher than that can you get? It’s not like he’s in the same position as her, desperately clawing herself back to a place where she can be cast in a role and it not be followed by a stunned, oh?

She knows there were articles written when her casting was announced that were doubtful of her ability to do this movie, that questioned whether she’s up to the task and whether she’s good enough to be standing next to names like Fenrys and Rowan. Some of the articles were straight up mean, and she only knows that because she searched them up like a masochist when all the ones Elide sent over were far too nice.

A dark part of herself can’t help but fall prey to some of the headlines. The ones that throw around words like nepotism, the ones that question whether Aelin is talented enough to be where she is cut deeper than any knife, and only half of it is because she sometimes wonders the same. She should be better than that, but the reminder catches in her throat that she really does have a lot riding on this.

“It’s not really my place to say.”

That’s a load of shit, and she tells him so. He only shrugs, not willing to so openly gossip about their boss.

“How well do you know him exactly?” She’s fishing for any details, but it definitely could be passed off as casual curiosity.

“He directed my debut, we keep in touch every so often.” He’s nonchalant. “He asked me to audition for this.”

“Nice humble brag.”

Fenrys only flashes her his movie star grin, in combination with the wink he throws at her it’s almost an effort not to blush.

“He wanted you cast, you know?” That she didn’t know, but it’s nice to hear.

“Why? He doesn’t know me.”

“You’re hard work, you know?” He’s joking but it doesn’t sit quite right. She knows it’s true. “Come with us tonight. There's a group of us getting dinner, and you can ask him yourself.”

It’s an olive branch. She knows it’s obvious to everyone that she’s uncomfortable, still hasn’t quite found her feet on set after taking such a break, and it’s one that she’s grateful for. No matter how closed off she knows she still seems to them.

“Okay,” she says and Fenrys’ smile is genuine and a part of her lifts, it’s a start.

They share a car to the restaurant and he fills the journey with easy chatter. She appreciates it because she feels really fucking rusty. It’s been a while since she spoke to anyone outside of her immediate circle of friends and family, and it’s always been easy with them. This is different, but not unwelcome.

Sometimes she worries that, as much as they love her, Aedion, Lysandra and Elide are inclined to tread lightly around her. She’d like to think that she’s not that fragile, that she could take the full front of their humour and teasing like she used to, but then remembers when Fenrys’ joke fell flat for her in the trailer and she thinks again.

Either way, the cast and crew here don’t treat her like she’s broken, or even breakable, and it’s refreshing.

Fenrys leads the way into the restaurant, and there’s definitely paparazzi down the street snapping away at them as they cross the short distance from the car to the door. She tries to ignore it, she’ll text Elide once they’re done here, even though Elide will probably be overjoyed. It’s probably (definitely) easier to publicise your talent when she’s out there doing things with other famous people compared to staying inside her home alone.

Fenrys greets the staff on the door and they lead them through the restaurant to a staircase at the back of the room and it leads up to a private space with only one table. Right, privacy. Some of these guys are proper celebrities.

They’re the last ones there, and there’s two seats left at the table. Manon is here, so is Rowan and one of the executive producers who she thinks is called Gavriel.

“Alright guys, you all know Aelin,” Fenrys says and she smiles as they greet her.

Fenrys holds a chair out for her, the one next to Rowan, and she slides into it as he takes the one on her other side.

Rowan offers her a quirk of his lips, one she returns as she takes him in. He’s wearing short sleeves this time and she gets a good look at the tattoo snaking the whole way down his left arm. It’s in the Old Language and she can’t read it, even though her father had spent hours trying to teach her when she was a kid, but the lettering is beautiful and neat. She wants to reach out and touch, to trace the lines that roll down his golden skin.

She doesn’t. Obviously.

A waiter comes over to take their drink orders, Fenrys gets a beer, Manon and Gavriel opt for wine, but Rowan asks for an orange juice. He’s not drinking either and she wonders if it’s related to the reason he needs this movie to go well. So she’s nosy? So what?

She sits back and observes as the conversation flows, laughing along at the easy banter that flows between the three men and the sarcastic quips Manon throws in. Fenrys clearly understated his relationship with Rowan, they seem tight and have a clear fondness for one another. It’s easy to slot herself in as the night progresses, snarking with Manon and joining in with the general light-hearted mockery of Fenrys.

She thinks maybe so far she’s got Rowan wrong.

Tonight he’s quick-witted and charming, and he makes his best effort to include her in the conversation which she appreciates. It’s a contrast to the dark and teasing side of him she’s seen so far in the hallway and the table read. Maybe he’s decided to just start again, pretend they never met before she was cast, and she can do that too.

“So, Aelin.” Manon turns the spotlight to her after a while. “Tell us the scoop. I’ve not seen you in anything for a while.”

It’s not a nasty question, Aelin can just tell from the way she asks it, nothing more than genuine curiosity lies in her tone even if the phrasing is somewhat harsh. Manon might not be the bubbliest of characters, she’s blunt and doesn’t beat around the bush, but she’s not unkind, and Aelin doubts if she knew the truth she’d ask that question in such a way.

Elide managed to keep the worst of her… career break? One could phrase it more like breakdown, out of the limelight. She somehow managed to keep the worst of it hidden, and Aelin will owe her that for the rest of her life.

All the world knows is that Sam was murdered when they were both still newbies to their respective industries, neither of them had had their big break yet, and after that she took a break. For three years.

She remembers the headlines from the time, most were in smaller magazines, Sam wasn’t famous enough to make the front pages. Her mouth tastes like bile.

Singer-Songwriter Sam Cortland, 20, murdered in random street attack in Orynth, girlfriend Aelin Ashryver unharmed and working with police to identify suspect.

No one knows she knelt there in his blood begging for him to open his eyes, not even Aedion, or Lysandra or Elide, and she blinks back the image now. Her hands are curled into fists below the table and she forces herself to uncurl them and lay them flat against her jeans.

“Yeah,” she says after clearing her throat. “I took a break from it all for a few years, but I’m back now obviously and really excited for it.”

Manon nods and Gavriel raises a glass. He’s been nothing but kind to her all night. He kind of reminds her of her father, though he’s not that old, probably not even forty yet. He’s softly spoken and counters each snarky comment from Fenrys or Manon with something softer but no less amusing.

“Good to hear,” Fenrys says with a grin, clinking his glass against Gavriel’s.

The way Rowan watches her as he raises his own glass in a toast to her, careful and without speaking, tells her he knows. At least the basics about Sam, and it seems like maybe he did google her just like she joked back at the table read.

Their meals arrive then, mercifully taking the attention away from her. She needs to find a better way to deal with the attention than shutting down, especially if this film is going to be as big as everyone thinks it will be. She should call her therapist.

She will.

Eventually.

They leave the restaurant not long after, Fenrys covering the bill, emphasising that this was a celebration and an initiation for Aelin. She almost blushes for some unknown reason at his words, but she likes it. It sounds good. Like she really is back, or at least will be.

They each give her their numbers, and she likes the way he’s in her phone now as Rowan rather than Rowan Whitethorn, it feels like he’s not just someone from work. Not just her boss.

They each say goodbye and share a series of embraces, ignoring the small group of paparazzi that follow, desperate for any kind of incriminating image of any of the five of them. It’s clear that most of them are here for Fenrys, but she still makes sure to keep her expression clear and guarded as Rowan wraps her into a one-armed hug when they leave. It’s not just for the paparazzi.

Back in her apartment, when she’s tucked up in bed knowing she should be asleep, she can’t stop herself from googling him. She’s honestly surprised she’s lasted this long.

The first few news articles to come up are all about the movie and she scrolls past them, instead pulling up his Wikipedia page and scrolling straight to the personal life section. Maybe this is the weirdest way anyone’s ever got to know a friend, but she’s intrigued and still slightly flustered by him so it will do.

The section on his personal life is relatively bare, and it doesn’t surprise her. His Instagram account alone told her pretty explicitly that he’s a private kind of guy. She almost scrolls away after the first few lines, they don’t give her much information other than the college he went to and the languages he speaks, but she reads the final few lines of the section anyway.

In March 2018 Whitethorn’s fiance, Lyria Woods, passed away as the result of a road traffic accident. The driver of the other vehicle was found to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident and was later sentenced to 6 years in prison for death by dangerous driving. Woods was 12 weeks pregnant with their child at the time of the accident.

Only a couple of weeks after the Oscars that she and Lysandra watched. She does the maths and realises this is his first film since then and thinks she knows what Fenrys meant.

Fucking shit.

Her second day of shooting goes better than the first, just as Fenrys said it would.

She’s more relaxed when she crosses the set from her trailer with a coffee in hand and she thinks she knows her place a little better now, even after only one night spent with the others.

She lies back while her make up is done, chatting to the make-up artist instead of sitting silently like the day before, and she’s almost ready for the discomfort that her wet hair will bring. The weather adds to the atmosphere of the film, dark and dreary and moody, and she gets why they’re doing it, but it still sucks.

Fenrys is ready when she gets there, and while she’s not avoiding Rowan today after finding out about his… past, she just finds it difficult to look him in the eye knowing what she does. He probably wouldn’t be surprised that she knew, if it’s on Wikipedia it’s public knowledge and they have made jokes about googling each other, but she feels weird in a way that she didn’t learn it from him. It feels intrusive, or invasive, to find out about something like that through Wikipedia.

But even though they bonded somewhat last night, and he greeted her this morning with an easy hey, they’re still not close. No matter that she thinks she might want them to be. She’s trying again to ignore the way she feels drawn to him, the way her eyes seek him out without her permission.

She knows she kills the take. Knows it from the high five Fenrys slaps against her palm once Rowan’s called cut and from the swift nod he offers her when she glances towards him.

There seem to be two Rowan’s too, there’s the award winning director Rowan Whitethorn, and then just Rowan.

Rowan Whitethorn is cool and calculating and distant, quiet while he watches their scene from his place behind the camera, the big black headphones he uses pushed down around his neck. His eyes are as sharp as a hawk’s while he watches for all the minute details of their expressions and any improvements they could make. He doesn’t give her that many she’s pleased to note.

The way he instructs them is impressive, with clear directions and thoughtful analyses. She’s been here two days and she knows how he got the Oscar nomination, he’s scarily intelligent and seems to know exactly what’s off about a performance before she figures it out herself.

The other side to him, the side that is just Rowan is…

Just Rowan is the one she likes more.

She suspects the smile he gives her later, after they’ve nailed the bulk of the scene in one take and she’s being twirled around by Fenrys, comes from him.

She has two full days off in a row, and she decides the best use of her time is to go and stay with Aedion and Lysandra. Fenrys isn’t free, and the reason she is is that he has a load of solo scenes to shoot, and she doesn’t envy him at all.

Lysandra is ecstatic when she announces via a group text to her and Aedion that she’ll be at their house for lunchtime, and she loves it, but it makes her feel a little guilty. That she’s let it get to the point when her friend reacts like that at her promise of a visit is quite frankly appalling, but she finally feels as if she’s taken the first step. She’s on the bottom rung of the ladder, and it’s taken her a while, but she’s there now.

Aedion and Lysandra live in a disgustingly big house in a gated part of the suburbs, and she knows the house isn’t exactly what they would have chosen in an ideal world, it’s too big and garish and grey, but there are gates by the entrance and 24 hour security.

It still messes with her head that Aedion is that famous. Aedion. Her gangly cousin, always too tall for his own good, who used to pull her hair when they were kids and sneak her extra helpings of cake at family parties before her parents divorced. She doesn’t know that much about football, so little in fact that her dad and Aedion teased her relentlessly for years, but everyone tells her he’s good.

Like really good.

The salary he gets from the Ravens is more than enough proof.

She rings their front door bell and she can hear Lysandra’s quick steps before the big wooden door is pulled open.

Her friend is glowing. Her dark hair falls into waves near the end and her staggeringly beautiful face is free of any make-up and unblemished and dewy. She’s had time to get over the insecurities that come from being friends with Lysandra so it barely phases her as she wraps her arms around her friend.

“I’ve missed you,” she whispers into Lysandra’s hair. It smells like coconut and citrus and just Lysandra.

“I missed you too. So much,” Lysandra sighs as she pulls back, dragging Aelin into the house and shutting the door.

Their hallway is grand and open but there’s a pile of their shoes by the wall and a rack of coats that make it feel more homely. There are framed photos carefully arranged on the sideboard in the entry way that show the two of them with their whole family and all of their friends.

There’s one on there of Aelin and Lysandra at eighteen, their arms thrown tightly around each other while they grin massive, excited smiles at the camera, or more likely Elide behind it. She remembers the day it was taken, Lysandra had signed to her first agency and arranged to move to Rifthold, and they had taken her out to celebrate.

It was around the same time she signed for her first movie, a tiny role with two lines and twenty seconds of screen time but it got the ball rolling with her first proper acting credit, and she’ll never forget it.

A head of golden hair pokes around the kitchen doorway at the end of the hall and she lets her cousin sweep her up into a hug, swinging her up and around so her feet dangle above the floor.

“Alien, we’ve missed you.”

A stupid nickname from when they were young, the kind of young where he thought it was hilarious to replace her name with an extraterrestrial, but it only makes her smile now, squeezing her cousin tight before he puts her back down.

“Yeah, I bet you’ve been lost without me.” She beams at them, taking a moment to soak in how it feels to be with them even as Aedion rolls his eyes. “I’ve missed you both too.”

“Lunch is ready, come on,” Aedion tells her as he takes her case and drags it through the house, leaving it by the bottom of the stairs. It’s then that she spots the frilly pink apron tied around his waist.

“Alright,” she laughs. “I can’t wait to try what the domestic goddess has in store for us.”

Peals of laughter burst out of Lysandra and she grins back at her, forever grateful that they managed to keep their relationship with each other from ever impacting on their relationship with Aelin. At first she had been worried that Aedion and Lysandra would become AedionAndLysandra and that she wouldn’t have a place left with them, but she needn’t have worried, and they worked too well together for Aelin to have ever wished for anything different.

“Gods, shut up,” he mutters, slinging an arm around her shoulders and leading her to the kitchen. “So annoying, both of you.”

She grins as she hears Lysandra smack an overly dramatic kiss to his cheek.

Aedion’s a surprisingly good cook, the lunch he’s made is tasty despite being carefully planned to fit into both his and Lysandra’s strict meal plans. If they’re the cost needed to be able to live in a house like this, Aelin doesn’t want it.

“So,” Aedion says after he’s finished chewing a mouthful. “How are things going?”

He asks it with a gentle kind of sensitivity that she understands what he’s really asking. She knows it’s code for are you still sober? but she also knows he hasn’t asked it because he doubts her. Aedion and Lysandra have always been in her corner, even in her darkest moments they were there.

She never wants to put them through anything like that ever again. Never wants them to experience anything as terrifying as the last night she ever touched a drug. That night, almost a year ago now, will forever be the bottom of her pit. She doesn’t remember much of it, other than the devastation on Aedion’s face as he carried her out of the men’s toilets of a seedy nightclub in Perranth. The way he’d bitten his lip as he picked her up off the sticky floor, pulling the hem of her dress down to cover her underwear where it had ridden up.

The thought makes her sick.

He’d had to skip a game, leading to a bollocking from his coach, but he’d done it for her. Had carried her out of the club and into a car, waiting to take them back to his house. Lysandra had stroked her hair where she lay on the cool tiles of the bathroom floor while Aedion called a doctor to the house. Even through his panic he had thought of her and how little she would want it publicised that she’d been pulled out of a club, off her fucking rocker on whatever substance she’d been given by the lowlives she had fallen in with. She’s really, really lucky that for once Aedion hadn’t been followed by paparazzi.

She takes a sip of her sparkling water before she answers, it feels like all she ever drinks these days and it tastes like shit but it’s worth it if she never reverts back to where she was.

“I’m good.” She’s almost surprised to find that it’s true. “I’m feeling much better.”

She can barely look at them, can barely take the level of subdued joy on their faces.

“We’re glad Aelin, really glad.” Lysandra’s voice is sincere.

“So, how’s the new project going?” Aedion asks her, sensing her discomfort almost immediately.

“That’s good too actually.” It is. It feels good to have something positive to focus on, something that she feels is productive and worth doing. “It’s nice to be back and be busy even if the morning shoots begin disgustingly early. It’s good to be on set, surrounded by it all again and to remember that I can actually do this.”

She stabs her fork through a piece of tomato a little aggressively as she finishes and the look Lysandra shoots her tells her she’s not impressed with the self-deprecation but that she’ll let it slide for now.

“And Fenrys Moonbeam, is he really that good looking in real life?”

Aelin laughs. “More actually, sometimes it's too much.”

“Nice,” Lysandra nods appreciatively.

“Is he alright though?” Ever the overprotective older brother figure, she expected some version of this question from Aedion.

“He’s great. He’s hilarious and it really helps on the long days,” she says before taking her next bite.

“And Rowan Whitethorn’s directing isn’t he? What’s he like?”

Aelin blinks and finishes chewing slowly. “He’s… fine.”

She knows she’s fucked it when Aedion and Lysandra share a look, matching smirks beginning on each of their faces.

“Fine,” Lysandra repeats. “What exactly does fine mean Aelin?”

She purses her lips. “He’s a great director.”

Lysandra rolls her eyes. “And?”

She could probably lie here, they’d probably let it slide if she said some bullshit about how they’ve not spoken much and how she barely knows him, but she honestly needs to talk to someone about this. You know, to set her straight.

“And he’s really hot.”

She’s blushing as Lysandra laughs and Aedion chuckles.

“You’ve got a crush,” Lysandra sing-songs, and when she doesn't respond she says, “Have you got a picture of him? I don’t think I actually know what he looks like.”

She can’t blame Lysandra for that, she’s still kicking herself for not recognising him that day in the hallway, but he was only on screen for a few seconds at the Oscars and it wasn’t long after Sam so it wasn’t like she was paying attention in that way. She still thinks she should have noticed.

She pulls her phone out to find the only picture she has on there with Rowan. She had only taken it this week when they were eating breakfast with Fenrys one morning, in one of the tents that had been set up for them to sit in between takes, and Fenrys had pulled his phone out to snap a photo of her for his Instagram story.

She’d been wrapped up in one of the huge parkas they’re given for the times in between scenes holding her croissant high up in the air when he’d taken it. He’d captioned it she could have dropped her croissant and tagged her, and she’d gained a good few thousand followers. She’s almost at a million and they’re only a couple of weeks into shooting.

She had taken one of him in response and then spun around to force Rowan into a selfie with her, he’d protested but she’d pouted until he relented, grumbling something about actors that she knew he didn’t mean. She didn’t post it anywhere, she kept it to herself and she can’t lie, she’s looked at it way too many times since.

She’s smiling a wide smile, cheeks stuffed full of her croissant and it’s really kind of gross, but the small smile on Rowan’s face makes it bearable. More than bearable, she has to resist the temptation to make it her lock screen because that would be weird.

She remembers the heat of his chest where he had stood behind her to lean down so their faces were level, the hand he rested on her shoulder to steady himself and the way his fingers had brushed against her neck in the lightest caress.

She hands the phone over to Lysandra and wants to pull it back almost immediately.

It’s not that she’s embarrassed or whatever, even if they think it’s a bad idea they’d let her down gently, it's just that their opinion matters to her a lot. And while they haven’t exactly approved of her string of random hookups in the years since Sam, they’ve never tried to comment on it other than to check she’s in a good place with it, but she knows they’re waiting for the next person she sees seriously.

There’s a fairly large part of her that thinks her first relationship since Sam shouldn’t be with her boss. And that fucks her up a bit, because since when was she considering a relationship with him?

“Oh yeah,” Lysandra says, scaring away the intrusive thought and raising one perfectly arched eyebrow. “He’s hot alright.”

Aedion nods along, peering over Lysandra’s shoulder. Lysandra’s eyes are far too knowing when she looks back up at Aelin and passes the phone over. She doesn’t say a word before locking the phone and sliding it back into her pocket.

“You’ll have to invite us to set sometime.” Lysandra is sneaky but not subtle.

“I will,” she agrees.

The next week flies by, she shoots every single day but one, and she’s far too exhausted each night to do anything other than scrounge up a measly meal that can be pulled together from her cupboard basics and the limited vegetables in her fridge before falling straight asleep. They’ve made good progress so far, and she knows it's going to be good, but she’s tired.

She’s seen a lot more of the process outside of her own character by now too, and she’s amazed, but not surprised, when she persuades one of the crew to let her watch back one of Fenrys’ solo scenes from the previous week. He’s a phenomenal actor, that much is clear, but she had allowed herself to get caught up in Fenrys as her friend, the happy and funny guy she spends her time with, forgetting the talented and driven lead actor of their movie.

Not that she can forget it in the scenes they share, but she’s mostly concentrating on the emotions her character is going through, and responding to what Fenrys gives her. It almost feels too natural for him, and she forgets that it takes work.

His text meets her at lunchtime on the Sunday they both have off, when she’s still in her pyjamas on the couch, debating whether to start a new series or watch the latest cheesy rom-com that Netflix has released.

She auditioned for one of them a couple of years ago, and she’s far enough past the bitterness that comes with not getting the role that she could enjoy it. Maybe a little, cynical part of herself thinks she’s glad she didn’t get it. What she has now is far better. She’s being a snob, but she straight up doesn’t care. It’s not like anyone else is here to judge her.

Fancy coming to Rowan’s to watch the game? I’m leaving in 20 his text reads.

She didn’t plan on doing anything today, but the invitation sparks something in her, and she’s never been to Rowan’s place before. The studio put him in a house about thirty minutes from set, and she’s curious. How much luxury does the big name director get compared to what she and Fenrys have got? She’s lucky really, that Dorian managed to negotiate the same for her as they offered Fenrys.

rowan’s??? She replies, followed by what game????

She gets up off the couch, putting the lid on the tub of yoghurt she was tucking into with a spoon and walking through to the kitchen to throw it back into the fridge.

Tall, grumpy guy that bosses us around all the time comes through a minute later and she grins at her phone at the description. It’s followed up by Ravens v Panthers.

She taps out, getting changed will be ready in 15 and he replies with three smiling emojis.

She doesn’t think it will be anything fancy if her impromptu invitation is anything to go by so she only swaps her pyjama bottoms with tiny cartoon sheep down the legs for a pair of black leggings and throws a sweatshirt over her oversized t-shirt.

Manon is there when they get there, sprawled across the two seater sofa at the far side of Rowan’s living room, and she gives them both a wave when they enter the room. The house is a pretty modest, two-up two-down in a sweet neighbourhood and it’s cosy inside with relatively modern decor. She doesn’t know for sure whether or not that fits Rowan, but she feels like it does.

He doesn’t let them in, Fenrys swings the door open and marches in like it’s his own place and she wonders how much he and Rowan have hung out, or whether that’s just him. Rowan appears in the doorway about a minute after they come in, a bowl of snacks in his hand that she thinks could be popcorn and he puts it down before coming over to wrap Fenrys in a hug. They slap each other on the back in the way that guys do before pulling back.

Aelin stands at Fenrys’ side watching the exchange, unsure whether to greet Rowan or just take a seat, and once they’re done he seems to regard her with the same sort of uncertainty. Fenrys darts around Rowan to throw himself onto the other sofa and she doesn’t give herself long enough to doubt her decision before she opens her arms and steps towards him.

“Hey,” he says simply as he wraps her into a brief hug. “Thanks for coming.”

She wraps her arms around his own broad shoulders, and it feels nice. He’s warm and strong beneath her hands and the way his arms loop around her waist, so far his hands reach back around to her stomach, gets her in a way that she really doesn’t need to think about. It feels really good pressed up against him like that.

“Hey,” she breathes as he pulls back, and she knows he sees the blush on her cheeks. She’s not fifteen, she really needs to sort herself out. “Thanks for having us.”

“Of course, make yourself at home.” He gives her another half smile, offering a flash of his straight, white teeth, and again she’s struck by him. That his place is behind the camera is a crime. “I’ve got more snacks and drinks in the kitchen if you want.”

“Beer?” Fenrys asks her, already heading to a door that she assumes leads to the kitchen.

She shakes her head, “do you have sparkling water?” She directs the question to Rowan who nods.

He doesn’t have to speak before Fenrys says “on it,” and leaves the room.

She assesses the seating choices left in the room, there’s a cream two-seater sofa opposite where Manon lies, and that’s probably her best bet, but Rowan has already taken his seat on it, an ankle crossed over a knee as he settles into the cushions. There’s plenty of room to sit by him and not touch, and she weighs it up against having to ask Manon to move.

She’s friendly with the girl, but still feels slightly intimidated by the calculating and sarcastic blonde despite the fact that she’s a few years younger than Aelin herself, so maybe Rowan is the safer choice.

Fenrys comes back into the room just as she takes her seat.

“Move your feet, Blackbeak,” he demands as he hands her a glass of sparkling water, it’s chilled with a couple of cubes of ice and she appreciates it.

Manon lifts her legs for Fenrys to sit, but plops her legs back down across his lap immediately and sticks her tongue out at him as she does. Aelin feels herself smile at the display, and the fact that she’s included in this circle of friends. She hasn’t really made an effort with anyone new since Sam, the only people she’s really spoken to are Elide, Lysandra and Aedion, and they were all there for her before Sam. It feels really damn good.

She really, really, doesn’t understand the rules of football, but it’s easy enough to cheer along when the others do and laugh at their outrage when something doesn’t go their way. It’s the most animated she’s seen Rowan so far, and she’s not quite sure which way their allegiances lie, but it’s probably with the Ravens being in Rifthold and all, and she knows her own is.

Everytime Aedion gets the ball or is shown on screen she can’t hold back the cheers. She’s proud of him and she knows how hard he works to be as good as he is, and even knowing as little as she does, it's special to watch him excel.

Rowan and Fenrys both seem a little starstruck that he’s her cousin, to her he’s just Aedion and they’re the real, scary celebrities, but they gush about him like starstruck little boys.

“And you were at his house last weekend?” Fenrys cries, almost outraged that this is the first he’s ever heard of it, but honestly? They’re both Ashryvers; it’s not like it's a secret.

“Yes,” she laughs. “He’s basically like my brother.”

“Gods, Aelin.” He sounds almost pained that she hasn’t brought this up before. “You've been holding out on us! Please give me his number or introduce me or something.”

“Sorry.” She laughs again and throws a smile to Rowan that he returns with another quirk of his lips. “Invite me earlier next time and I’ll ask him to sort a box for us at the stadium.”

“Seriously?” Even Rowan sounds awed now.

“Yeah, just let me know,” she says. “It’s no big deal.”

It really wouldn't be, Aedion has been telling her for years to invite any friends she wants to games, she would just need some friends outside of him, Lysandra and Elide first.

“It’s definitely a big deal,” he says, watching her with a smirk still playing on his lips.

She shrugs. “Just make sure you text me early next time.”

“Oh, I will,” he says, and she has to look away from him. The way his voice curves around the words, all low and intense, is definitely about more than just the game.

She tries to pass it off as just looking to where Fenrys is cheering loudly at the next play, but Manon is there again, looking at her with such a knowing expression that she immediately focuses back on the TV.

At half time she needs to use the bathroom and Rowan gives her a quick rundown of the layout of the house. She’s quick to do her thing and runs by the kitchen afterwards to grab a refill of her drink and find something to eat.

Rowan had told them all to help themselves, explaining that he felt they had as much right as he to poke through the cupboards in the only just filled rental property and she gets it. The places the studio rent out for them are nice enough, and she’s more than grateful that they do, but it’s never quite home. Even if her home is somewhat impersonal, it’s still home.

She’s on her tiptoes, scanning through the relatively well stocked cupboards on the hunt for anything chocolate, when someone enters the kitchen behind her.

“I know I said help yourselves, but you’re going to eat me out of house and home at this rate.”

It’s Rowan, and he leans against the doorframe as he watches her startle and spin to face him, his legs are crossed at the ankles and his arms are folded over his chest. The pose highlights his powerful arms that she wants to be wrapped up in again and he looks really good in the dim lighting of the kitchen. It bounces off the lines of his tattoo, shining and highlighting the swirls that she can barely look away. She wants to ask what it means.

Aelin scoffs and pushes the cupboard door shut gently, they’re not eating that much and if they are it’s definitely not her, Fenrys and Manon are another story.

“There’s nothing stopping you from kicking us all out,” she says and he laughs, shaking his head.

He tilts his head to the side, his gaze picking her apart by the second before he says “maybe not all of you.”

His words and the way he shifts in the doorway as his eyes run her up and down gives her the confidence to bite her lip and look up at him through her lashes. He pushes off the door frame and comes to lean against the counter by her side.

He opens a cupboard door on her other side and rummages through a shelf before handing her a foil packet.

“I have a feeling this is what you were after.”

She accepts the chocolate and tucks it onto the counter at her side as she mirrors him and leans against it too.

“Unsurprisingly, you’d be correct.”

He presses his lips together before his lips twist again, it’s the same expression from before that she knows means he wants to smile but he can’t quite commit, and she feels her body loosen like she wants to lean forward to press into him. She doesn’t though.

What she does instead is take a sharp breath and a step back. “Thanks.” She waves the bar of chocolate in the air before stepping around him and making her way back into the living room, forcing her steps to seem calm and collected as she feels his gaze heavy on her back.

“Anytime.” His words follow her out of the room, they’re a promise.

Luckily, Fenrys and Manon both ignore it when Rowan follows her and retakes his place next to her.

#rowaelin #throne of glass #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #rowaelin au #ndilyd #nobody does it like you do #cw: minor character death

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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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The Suicide Squad Ending Explained

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This article contains major The Suicide Squad spoilers. But you could tell that from the headline. We have a spoiler-free review here.

Well done! You’ve survived The Suicide Squad!

James Gunn’s stunning supervillain flick is a brutal ride through DC’s most deep cut characters and now you want to dig deep into what happened. So we’re here to break down that shocking ending, where we leave our heroes, and what’s next for the Suicide Squad in the DCEU. Well, those of them who survived, at least…

The standalone (sort of sequel) movie centers around the Suicide Squad on a top secret mission. So off they go to Corto Maltese.

We begin with two crews but only one actually survives the opening bloodbath. Those lucky few are led by Bloodsport (Idris Elba) and the crew consists of Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), Nanaue/King Shark (Steve Agee/Sylvester Stallone), and Peacemaker (John Cena).

Later, they pick up Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), who both somehow manage to survive the trap set by Amanda Waller. After much scheming and fighting, the team kidnaps the Thinker (Peter Capaldi) and make it to Jotunheim, the Nazi prison where the Corto Maltese government have been keeping Project Starfish A.K.A. Starro the Conqueror. But when they get there things begin to spiral out of control and that’s where we’ll begin…

Why Were Peacemaker and Rick Flagg Fighting?

While this is a movie filled with wild unexpected moments, the most shocking–to some viewers–twist comes when the truth about Project Starfish is revealed. And we’re not talking about the fact that it’s actually a giant starfish-like alien called Starro.

No, the real horror here is that Project Starfish is and has always been run by the US government. Yep, it’s the US who have been testing on and torturing innocent humans, and the Squad wasn’t sent to stop Starro but were in fact there to destroy Jotunheim so that the US government and Amanda Waller’s involvement were kept under wraps.

It’s not something that Rick Flag can stomach as he states, “I joined to serve my country not to be its puppet.” It’s an honorable moment that finally makes Flag a true hero, but it’s short lived. Amanda Waller always has a backup plan and here that plan wears red, white, blue, and a shiny helmet.

Gunn’s searing action flick has a lot to say about war, America, and the nature of disposability, and Peacemaker is one of its most brutal statements. He’s a man who believes he “loves peace” but it “doesn’t matter how many people I have to kill to achieve it.” That in itself is the oxymoron of imperialism.

In that way, Peacemaker and Flag represent two different versions of the patriotic ideal. Rick is the idealistic man who wants to do the right thing in the hopes of making his country live up to what he thinks it can be. But Peacemaker wants to protect his country no matter what horrific crimes they’ve committed. That’s why he agreed to be a mole for Waller within the Squad and why he decides to kill Flag when his former teammate wants to leak the records of America’s Project Starfish to the press.

Sadly for us and Rick, Peacemaker succeeds, leaving Flag dead and the American ideal shattered.

Bloodsport Makes a Choice

With Peacemaker planning to stop the truth about Jotunheim from coming out at any cost, his next target is Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior). After the explosions incapacitate them, the brilliant young heroine grabs the disk with the damning records, leading Peacemaker to hunt her down.

Just when it seems like he’s going to add another Squad member to his kill count, we skip backwards eight minutes. Here we see that Bloodsport, King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, Harley, and Milton have been setting the charges, which end up going off too soon. As they start to explode (and after the tragic death of Milton), Bloodsport ends up falling through the building on a large slab of concrete, landing in front of Peacemaker as he’s about to kill Ratcatcher 2.

As he draws his weapon, Peacemaker does the same, leading to a fatal shootout. And in a hilarious callback to an earlier gag when Peacemaker claimed he could shoot better than Bloodsport thanks to smaller bullets which would shoot through his enemies’ bullets, Bloodsport beats him using exactly that tactic, apparently killing Peacemaker (more on that in a moment) and saving Ratcatcher 2.

It’s a key moment for Bloodsport, who made a promise to his surrogate daughter that he’d get her out alive, and it’s the perfect way to wrap up Bloodsport’s arc in the film, from estranged father of a young daughter to a man trying his best to form more connections under difficult situations. Yay for the world’s best bad dad!

The Suicide Squad Takes a Stand

Now that Jotunheim is destroyed, Waller calls the remaining Squad–Bloodsport, Polka-Dot Man, Harley, King Shark, and Ratcatcher 2–telling them they have to go back to the US. But there’s one big problem: Starro is now freed and the giant alien is on a rampage.

After decades of being tortured by Gaius Grieves A.K.A. the Thinker, Starro believes the city belongs to them and starts shooting out mini Starros in order to turn the population into mindless zombies. Starro is able to create countless self-replicating copies of itself, so the carnage being wreaked on Corto Maltese is probably only a preview of how quickly Starro could spread their influence throughout the entire world if left unchecked.

For a moment it seems like the Squad will head back into Waller’s cold and cruel arms, leaving the people of Corto Maltese to their gruesome fate. But at the last moment Bloodsport chooses to go back and is soon joined by the rest of his crew. It’s a massively powerful moment and one that transcends even our core team as before Waller can blow their heads up her colleagues knock her out and begin to help the Squad on their unauthorized but massively heroic new mission to stop Starro and save Corto Maltese.

It’s one of several moments in the film that drives home the harder edges of Amanda Waller, who is played as close to a villain in this film as someone like Thinker or Corto Maltese dictator Silvio Luna.

The Final Fate of Polka-Dot Man

David Dastmachlian’s performance as Abner Krill AKA Polka-Dot Man is one of the many stunning turns that the film has to offer. And while we’d love to say that the villain turned hero gets a happily ever after that’s not the case. In fact Polka-Dot Man gets an ending as tragic as his origin. After being tortured by his mother who infected him with a parasitic alien virus in the hopes of making him a superhero he became the villain known as Polka-Dot Man.

It’s not a conscious choice but more of a compulsion as he has to expel his deadly polka dot pustules or he’ll die. It’s the grossest power in a movie full of gross powers but as the crew face down Starro Abner finally comes into his superheroic own.

As Bloodsport becomes the leader Waller always knew he could be, he uses Abner’s fear of his mother and the hallucinations he has of her to help him channel his powers into destroying Starro. Bloodshot yells “It’s your mother” and we see Starro through Abner’s eyes, the creature is transformed into a kaiju-sized version of the woman who ruined his life. His polka dots end up destroying one of Starro’s legs, and Abner celebrates screaming “I’m a real superhero!”

Just as Polka-Dot Man realizes his truly heroic nature, he’s killed by another of Starro’s limbs, crushed but finally happy in his last moments. It’s a fittingly bittersweet end for the unexpected and relatablely depressed hero.

The Final Fate of Starro

Fighting a huge roaming starfish is no easy feat. It takes everything the Squad has to take down the monstrous creature, including that tragic sacrifice of Polka-Dot Man. When they catch up with Starro in the city, Harley takes the high ground using Javelin’s javelin to burst through Starro’s eye as Bloodsport and Ratcatcher 2 try to incapacitate the huge beast.

As Harley swims around in Starro’s bloody eye she’s joined by thousands of rats called by Ratcatcher 2. The rodents swarm Starro, overcoming him as Ratcatcher 2 protects Bloodsport from his childhood fear come to life.

And with that, Starro is gone.

Though Starro might have been a murderous alien kaiju by the end of the movie, they began life as a harmless creature floating through the stars, kidnapped by the American government. To kill him is a tragic but necessary act and one that cements the Squad as very much anti-heroes rather than the villains they began as.

What’s Next for the Squad?

While we know that Peacemaker will get his own spinoff TV series on HBO Max (more on that below) it’s unclear what the rest of the crew will be doing after this. One thing is clear, though. They all have the freedom that they never thought they’d achieve.

After killing Starro, Bloodsport blackmails Waller into letting him, Harley, Ratcatcher 2, and King Shark go. It means compromising Rick Flag’s final wish to reveal the truth of what Waller and the government did in Corto Maltese but it also allows Bloodsport and his crew to avoid returning to Belle Reve. It seems like the crew might stick together, especially in the case of Ratcatcher 2 and Bloodsport.

Plus, once Flag’s friends find out that Peacemaker is still alive, they might have a score to settle. About that…

The Post Credits Scenes

The first of two post credits scenes is the big one. After we think that one good thing happened in this movie A.K.A. Peacemaker being killed by Bloodsport, Gunn has a shock for us.

See, Peacemaker survived–to star in his upcoming HBO Max series–and Waller has sent two of her best to pick him up from his hospital bed where he’s recuperating in order to do nothing less than “save the fucking world.” After the brutal horrors that Peacemaker committed during the film, it seems strange that he’ll be taking a leading role in a TV series. But after the smart subversiveness of The Suicide Squad we’re cautiously optimistic.

If you wait until the final moments of the credits once we’re done with all the good stuff like Special Thanks and celebrating all those amazing visual effects artists, then you’ll get to this gnarly and hilarious little stinger.

If you throw your mind back to the beach-set murder fest at the beginning of the movie, the first character to apparently die is Weasel because no one checked whether ot not he could actually swim. It’s a sad and grotesque way to start the film, but there’s good news for anyone who loves the grody child-killing beast: he’s still alive. After all the drama of the past few days Weasel just popped back up and is totally and utterly alive. That means the people of Corto Maltese should probably watch out as there’s a murderous Weasel in their midst!

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The Suicide Squad is on HBO Max and in theaters now!

The post The Suicide Squad Ending Explained appeared first on Den of Geek.

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#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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champagne-bucky · 5 years ago

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Stronger

Summary: Life as the newest Avenger is tough, but a new friend is willing to help you through it

Warnings: bullied!Reader x Bucky

Notes: This is a requested one shot by @i-ve-become-fictional ! Hope you enjoy this! Like, repost, comment, and follow for more! :)

Avenger Wrecks Billion Corporation Building.

Newest Addition to the Avengers is Well Below Qualification Ranks.

Are the Avengers Becoming a Joke?

President Issues a Statement Regarding New Avenger: “Y/N Y/L/N is a Hazard to Our Country!”

The headlines wouldn’t stop, they were getting so repetitive. You get it, you suck, as an Avenger and as a person in general. Why do they all hate you so much? You’ll never understand why. It all started when James Rhodes hired you on as an Avenger. With Natasha Romanoff and Tony Stark’s passing and the retirement of Steve Rogers, S.H.I.E.L.D was looking to recruit a new member for the Avengers. You weren’t exactly top of your class strength wise, your skills excelled with computers and different types of technology. Needless to say, you had no real place on the team, unless they thought you were a gamma infected being that was holding out on everybody, you rendered useless.

Why do you put yourself down like this? Well, the other recruits were telling you the same thing, to your face and behind your back, when Fury considered you to be in the running for the Avengers. You were just as surprised as everyone else had been when you got a final nomination to join. It was between you and a highly respected and highly decorated S.H.I.E.L.D agent. You don’t know how you managed to get that far, but considering you blew everyone else out of the water when it came to cooking up concoctions in the scientific portion of the tests and memorizing how Tony Stark built numerous Iron Man suits, from a heap of scrap metal to glorious nanotechnology, the other recruits never stood a chance.

The team of remaining Avengers were shocked and impressed that you managed to make it as far as you did, truth be told you were too. When it came down to you and the other agent, Fury urged the team to really think about who they wanted. The votes were tied, but some poor soul thought you had potential to be an actual Avenger. What that same soul didn’t realize was with an uncoordinated member came dozens of heavily opinionated jerks from every walk of life criticizing your every move.

There was a small group of people that supported you. They tried their best to defend you, but that small group was always taken over by the tsunami that was late night television commentators and early morning local news reporters. It was safe to say, the majority didn’t like you.

Day after day you would train your ass off trying to get stronger. You were getting better, but you weren’t the best. You wish you could quit, but you were already in too deep.

The building was an accident. You didn’t mean to destroy it, however it was a building that was on the midst of foreclosure, which meant no casualties were harmed because no one was inside. Despite this important fact, the media ran with it and was quick to try and call you a cold blooded killer. Not true, not even a little bit, that at least was James Rhodes would tell you.

The others liked you. Sure, those who weren’t too keen on you took a while to warm up, but they all adjusted to your presence quickly. It seemed as though somedays they really did appreciate you. You could tell some were frustrated by you though. For instance, you had overheard a conversation from Clint and Sam voicing rather loudly how they thought you would get yourself killed because of you “careless” fighting style.

Most days you didn’t want to leave your room. You didn’t need to affiliate yourself with the new wave of hate and toxicity the internet and it’s trolls would bring you. You wanted to disassociate yourself from the world, and yourself, for one goddamn day. However, Colonel James Rhodes would not have any of that today.

“Due to light of the recent events from last mission, the Senate is ordering us to hold a press conference.” Rhodey announces which caused collective groans from the group.

“Do we all have to be present?” Clint asked slouching in his chair. He really didn’t feel like facing the ravenous press today.

“Well, actually, only myself, Bucky, Sam, and Y/N will be attending the press conference today.” You froze in your seat. A panic attack threatening to rise within you. The feeling of the teams eyes all landing on you. You’ve never had to be at the press conferences before. Usually it was only Sam and Rhodey taking the lead.

“Kid, you’ll do fine. Just give simple and minimal answers to the press. Don’t answer any questions you don’t want to. If anything, we’ll answer them for you.” Rhodey put his hand on your back before walking away to get ready.

—

You always had stage fright. Ever since 5th grade when you misspelled that one really long and complicated word. Everyone in the crowd was laughing at you, at least to your imagination. You remember specifically Marcy Hunter making fun of you and taunting you for weeks. Calling you stupid, getting the whole grade to think you were stupid, saying you were one of the biggest losers on planet ea-

“Hey, you ready?” Sam looked at you with concern.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s just get this over with.” You muttered nervously.

—

The millions of flashing cameras and yelling journalists did nothing to ease your confidence. Every single one of them were up in arms about what had happened. No one was hurt, so why were they all acting as if a mass murder took place.

“Colonel Rhodes, are there any updates regarding a body count from the premises of the building.” Someone shouted

“For the last and final time, no one was in that building. It was already cleared for months before we got to it.” Rhodey looked annoyed as ever. Same questions same answers. They were just looking for an opportunity to rip on you.

One woman eyed you up and down with her evil eyes. She was waiting patiently to get the mic and rip you limb from limb. She finally got it after about an hour into the conference.

“Ms. L/N, how do you think this mishap will affect on the citizens of New York?” She was going somewhere with this wasn’t she?

“Well,” you cleared your throat, “as Colonel Rhodes has mentioned, the building was cleared and the citizens surrounding the area were promptly evacuated.” Sam nodded his head in approval.

“So does this mean there has been no discussion of your removal from the team?” What?

“I’m sorry?” You questioned.

“Well, it just seems destruction follows you wherever you go. I mean for Christ sake a billion dollar building collapses and you aren’t even the slightest bit worried that you dm could’ve killed people.” She was evil. The way her lips curled into a devilish smirk.

“Like I’ve told the other reporters, building was empty and no civilians were near the scene.” Rhodey was getting annoyed now.

“What I’m trying to say is, did you all really think it was a good idea to have someone with so little experience play with the big boys. It seems as though she doesn’t even know what she’s doin-“ The bitch was immediately cut off by Bucky.

“Okay, that’s enough out of you, out of all of you. Y/N is an Avenger whether you like her or not. We voted to have her on the team, not you or you or any of you for that matter. I’m so sick and tired of seeing headline after goddamn headline about how “incapable” she is. Can’t you people focus your attention on, I don’t know, literally anything else in this goddamn world besides her. She’s made some mistake, we all have, just because she’s an Avenger doesn’t mean she’s not human like the rest of us. I swear to God I will personally rip to shreds everyone single news article that runs one more negative thing about her. So if you all can understand where I’m coming from, shut the fuck up about her and write something else. We are done here.” Bucky looks out fo the crowd angrily. The rooms falls silent after you all get up and exit.

—

It was late in the night and you were pounding it away at the gym. Trying to forget what had transpired at the press conference. You were working up a sweat trying to rid the voices in your head.

You’ll never be good enough.

You’re pathetic.

Failure.

You suck.

Failure.

Sorry excuse for an Avenger.

Failure.

Failure

Fail-

“I thought I was usually the only one up this late.” Your thoughts stopped as Bucky’s voiced echoed from behind you.

“Never thought anyone else came down here this late.” You responded, eyes still focused on the punching bag in front of you.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Never could.” You responded still hitting the punching bag.

Bucky ponders for a moment looking at your sweaty form. You always looked defeated, so helpless, you always thought you were useless. He never thought that though. Bucky always saw something in you, he never saw you like the monsters in the press did.

“Are you okay?” You sensed the concern and sincerity in Bucky’s voice.

“What do you mean?” You tried to act dumb.

“Don’t play coy, Y/N. I know how you feel.”

“How could you possibly know how I feel?”

“Because you’re not the only one who was the media’s favorite chew toy.” You stopped punching the bag as Bucky walks over to you and leads you to the bench.

“I know how it feels, to be an outcast, to be hated by everyone. How do you think the media reacted when the dreaded Winter Soldier was joining the Avengers. Dear God, I had to stay off the internet for weeks, couldn’t even walk down the street without some asshat yelling names at me, calling me a monster.”

You remember the public outcry that rang throughout the world when it was announced that Bucky Barnes, former HYDRA assassin, was joining the Avengers. The media had a field day with him, some even went as far as protesting the front gates of the compound demanding that this evil man be exiled for the crimes he had committed.

“Nobody liked me, and those that did couldn’t even get their message across to the world as to why I was a good guy. I know I’m not perfect, but I’m not evil by any means. It’s taken a while, but I know it wasn’t James Barnes who did those things to those innocent people, it was HYDRA and the Winter Soldier programming.” Bucky had been going through lots of therapy since he was brought back. Steve had insisted that Bucky go to every last therapy session even if it meant he would break out of the retirement home and drag him there himself.

“I was the deciding vote, ya know. When no one else thought you could do it I was the only one who spoke up in your defense.”

“What so the heat could be taken off of you?” You shot back, the little rage bubble in your heart expanding.

“No, stop thinking like that. I know what you may think, that everyone here doesn’t like you, but that’s far from the truth. Everyone here, they warmed up to you, they really do enjoy having you on the team, honest to God. They have their concerns thought.” Oh boy here we go.

“I agree with them on the fighting thing, you were a little choppy at first, but hey, no one is perfect. In fact, I remember one time where Sam crashed his new set of wings into the lake when the new compound was built.” You stifled a laugh.

“Hey, there’s that pretty smile.” Bucky smiled back as you fought a blush.

“You really don’t think I’m useless?”

“Far from it, doll.”

“Then teach me.” You finally looked at Bucky.

“What?”

“Teach me how to fight, how to be like you.” You looked up at him with pleading eyes.

“Doll, no one can be like me, you gotta be your own you.” You sighed.

“But that doesn’t mean I still can’t teach you a few tricks.” You had a wide smile plastered on your face as you hugged Bucky tightly. The first person to show you true compassion since you got here.

“Thank you Buck, thank you.”

“Anytime doll, anytime.”

—

Two months later…

“C’mon Y/N, let’s move it, just like we practiced.” Bucky yelled at you as you did the kick punch combo again.

It’s been a long two months, but goddamn was it worth it. Slowly, the headlines about you stopped and the people moved on to a new problem. It felt good to not be the center of attention anymore.

Bucky recommended you to a great therapist. Together you and Dr. Han worked through your insecurities and difficulties. Everyday you were getting stronger physically and mentally. Bucky on the other hand enjoyed spending his time with you. Soon enough you became more than just training buddies, you became best friends.

He liked getting to take care of you, helping you defend yourself. Sam always joked that the two of you were doing something more than just training, but there really wasn’t more to it. Bucky saw something more in you, he saw that scrawny little boy from Brooklyn, weak, but had the drive and passion of a soldier. Bucky looked after you as if you were young Steve Rogers, and he’ll be damned if he lets anything happen to you.

#bucky x reader #bucky one shot #bucky x bullied!reader #bucky fluff #bucky imagine #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #bucky fanfic #winter solider x reader #winter soldier #marvel #james barnes #james buchanan barnes #bucky fic

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eves-library · 5 years ago

Text

Day Three // Avengers x Reader

Summary: “The goat of Christmas past? Wasn’t it supposed to be a ghost?”

Word Count: 2585

Warnings: None

A/N: I did it! Day three is up now, and Day four will be coming today at 8 or 9 p.m. On this prompt I decided not to pair any of the avengers on this one, I liked how the interaction of the characters go. I know in these first prompts there isn’t much interaction between the reader and other female characters like Wanda or Natasha. So some of the upcoming prompts will be either paring with them or centered on them.

You were explaining the events of this week to the group of avengers that hadn’t left for free time on the holiday season, you had Thor the god of thunder, Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, Natasha Romanoff, Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff and Vision. You were explaining the type of events Christmas related they were going to attend in the next two weeks and the amount of time they were expected to stay before they could leave if wanted. “Finally we have the Winter Ball on two Fridays from now at the Captain America museum, you are expected to stay for at least an hour after the red carpet is done with and Steve you are to give a Christmas speech, I already have Matt working on it, once I go over it with him I’ll call you so we can go over it for your final approval.” You finished and close the agenda in front of you, “This is just the events for these two weeks so you guys can work your personal time between this and any mission that can come up. I cleared the Saturday before the Winter Ball so you can have a break and we go over for the schedules for the week before Christmas,” the group in front of you let out an exasperated sigh and you chuckled, “I know guys, there are too many events coming up but there is nothing I can do about it, these sort of events come with the holiday season and as much as I hate them, you are expected to make an appearance.” Everyone in the room sighed once again but agreed with you. You hade been the PR manager for the avengers for a little over a year now. Earth’s mightiest heroes liked you because unlike past PR managers you understood that between missions and the public life of being an avenger they had a life of their own, one where they wanted to spend a weekend of late mornings or late nights at bars, simply having fun. So you tried to balance their lives as best as you can, trying to only sign them up for events they needed to be at or ones they could actually enjoy.

You were picking your things up when Sam came to you a cheeky grin on his face, “There is no getting off the hook Samuel, I already checked if any of the events can survive without your presence and it is not possible, plus most of them are charity events and I know for a fact 70% of them are not just fundraiser galas but rather actual help at the moment meetings, so please don’t even try to get yourself out of any events by moping and whining in front of me, it will do nothing to change my mind.” you zipped your bag and finally look at him, a shocked expression on his face and his teammates laughing discretely on the background. “Ouch Y/N, it hurts my feelings that you think of me that way! I was just going to ask if you wanted to be part of our Secret Santa gift exchange.” He said with mock hurt lazing his voice and you chuckled softly and shook your head, already heading for the door of the conference room. “As much as I appreciate the offer I must decline it, Sam,” you said with a small smile on your face. Sam was surely not expecting that answer, you would usually spend time with them at different activities just as game or movie nights, so naturally Sam thought you would be thrilled to be part of the Secret Santa exchange, “Why not?”

You were kind of hoping he wouldn’t ask, you were not really a Christmas fan, believing the holiday was just a waste of time and money, but people tend no to understand your position and more times than not try to change your mind about the holiday, which makes you hate the holiday more. Usually, you will give an excuse but you certainly didn’t have one for a secret Santa exchange, as money wasn’t a thing you suffer from, especially since you work for the Avengers/ Tony Stark, so you just decided to explain him. “I hate Christmas Sam, and everything related to it. So I don’t really do or take part in any holiday-related event.” You say while walking back to your office one floor down, Sam following you. “Are you serious?” he asked still shocked by your admission, “Deadly,” you answered with an absolutely serious face. “That isn’t the truth! I saw you last year at the Christmas party Tony threw!” You smile out of pity because you already knew what was coming. “I was there for work Sam, as soon as the guests were all inside I stayed for 20 min until Tony gave his formal speech and I left.”

Sam was beyond shocked, how could you not like Christmas, everybody likes Christmas, or so he thought. How blind he was. “What about gifts? You give gifts, right?” You shooked your head in a way you said no without actually saying the word, “I only do formality gifts, I give one to my boss or bosses and one to my PA. Other than that I don’t spend a single penny on Christmas presents. To be honest it is a waste of money and time, which I can’t afford losing.” The look on Sam’s face was priceless, who would have thought that it would only take you a simple PR manager, to express your hate for Christmas to bring The Falcon speechless and almost as white as a ghost. Sam had always thought of you as a caring, loving and warm person for lack of better words to describe you, but the person in front of him right now was acting as cold as ice, he was sure that if Natasha were in his place right now she would describe you as coldhearted. Which when it came to Christmas time you were.

“I don’t know why you hate Christmas Y/N but by the day of Christmas Eve you’ll be in love with the holiday I make it my personal and most important mission,” he said as you enter the elevator and he backed away. You just chuckled and shook your head.

A few days had passed since your little confession to Sam, and you hadn’t really seen him. You were currently double-checking the last-minute occurrences of the organizers for one of the fundraisers the group of Avengers was to attend tomorrow night. Definitely standing your ground when the assistant of the organization president suggested in her mail that Steve should wear a Captain America Christmas suit. You had been working as a PR for almost seven years and still couldn’t believe there were people willing to sacrifice other people’s dignity or even their own to be on a headline. You answered back as politely as you could buyyt still with a thunderous no, that even Thor would be proud of. Then the god of thunder himself walked into the common area of the avengers’ living floor with what seems small horns on top of his head and pointy ears at the side of said horns.

He stood in front of you and you greeted him, “Hey Thor, what’s with the horns?” you asked absolutely curious about the reason behind them. There were a few seconds of silence before his booming voice was heard all throughout the vast space of the common area, “Miss Y/N! I am the goat of Christmas past! and I’ve come here to visit you!” The words took a few seconds to register in your head, but once they did the horns made a lot more sense, you chuckled and tried to interrupt him, “Wait, the goat of Christmas past?” but that was as far as you got before his booming voice was heard again throughout all the free area, “Don’t talk Miss Y/N! I am here to show you, not for you to talk!” As you were sure Sam hadn’t gone as far as to dig in your past without your consent you let the mighty God of thunder give his long speech about how Christmas is a celebration that has been celebrated for centuries and why it was so important. He went as far as summoned thunders at certain parts of his speech to emphasize his point. once he was finished with his big speech, he bowed in front of you before adding, “soon the goat of Christmas present will visit you next!” you thank him and just as you had invited him to take a seat next to you to watch something on the T.V. Sam came through the elevator doors. You called his name and he plopped down next to you just as Thor excused himself to get something to drink before coming back to watch T.V. with you.

“So, I just a had a visit from the goat of Christmas past,” you said making an emphasis on the word goat, a teasing smirk on your face especially as you saw the confused look on Sam’s face, “You know Sam I may not like Christmas but I don’t think that is not how the story goes. Wasn’t it supposed to be a ghost?” you said as calmly as you could because you wanted to laugh so hard.

Thor came back and sit back down where he had been seated. Sam turned to look at him and almost shouting he asked, “Why did Y/N get a visit from the GOAT of Christmas past, Thor?!” Thor took a swig from the beer on his hand and looked confused at Sam. “I thought that was what you asked me to do, at least that was what your note said.” Thor explained calmly and still very confused. You stepped in, because as amused as you were by the situation you wanted to make Sam suffer, “It’s not Thor’s fault you have the handwriting of a kindergarten, Sam. Now if you are really want to go through this I better get the visit of the goats of Christmas Present and Future with the horns and everything, okay?” you said as you got up and took the headband with the horns Thor had been using from the coffee table and dropped it on Sam’s lap. Sam was speechless so instead of waiting for an answer you just patted his head and took your stuff. Deciding to head somewhere else to wait for the goat of Christmas present.

It had been an hour since the little incident at the common area with Thor and Sam. You were currently in the kitchen a cup of tea between your hands as you read through some articles your PA had sent you about the two last events one or two of the avengers had attended. You took notes of the public opinion on them and which avenger needed to make more appearances on more public events, and already thinking on what type of events said avengers were most likely to not hate and still look good to the public eye. Then Bucky entered the kitchen. You looked up from your tablet and smiled at the sight in front of you. The Bucky Barnes, supersoldier, a former assassin, an ex-special asset from one of the most feared organizations to ever existed, was in front of you wearing the same headband as Thor had. The look on his face said he was not happy at all and he was glaring at you which just make your amusement growth, “I assume, you are the goat of Christmas present?” you asked and the glare he directed at you hardened if possible, you were sure that if looks could kill, you would be three feet underground by now. “Just do what Sam wants you to Y/N and take me out my misery,” He said slumping down on the seat across from you on the center table of the kitchen. “You know, I wonder what is it that Sam has over your head for you to agree do this,” You asked him to which he only groaned and glare at you more, you chuckled but decided to show him mercy. “Tell Sam I still have to be visited by the goat of Christmas Future before he knows my verdict,” you said and that was enough for Bucky to take out the headband and started walking out of the kitchen, “Also! I know you hate it but I do need you to go to that suit fitting for the Captain America Museum gala, tomorrow at 3 p.m., I even got Isabel, the girl you liked to be the one to do it, maybe you can ask her to be your plus one?” Bucky’s face broke into a grin and his cheeks were a little, he just thank you and before leaving he warned you that Natasha was meant to be the last “goat”. That promised to be something you thought before going back to work.

You were back at your office when Steve entered with the same headband you had seen twice today. “I saw Sam, couldn’t make Natasha wear the goat horns, uh?” You asked in an amused tone, “Bummer.” you shrugged and offer Steve to take a seat. He took off the headband as he chuckled at your antics. “Why is it that you hate Christmas, Y/N?” Steve asked you and he seemed genuinely curious, so you decided to just be honest. “I’m not sure Steve, I just never had a great Christmas experience and as years went by, I just saw it as a waste of my time and money, and just like I said to Sam the other day, I won’t lose either.”

Steve nodded and thought for a few seconds before speaking again. “I won’t try to change your mind but can you just consider this for a moment?” he asked and you nodded so he continues to talk, “I know you don’t do any Christmas related activities but isn’t this whole parade a Christmas related activity? And didn’t you had fun? All I’m saying is that you don’t need to see these holidays as an experience you’ve hated for a while now, but an opportunity to spent time with your friends, and maybe with time we can change your perspective on Christmas, who knows. Anyway that’s all from my part I hope you agree on the Secret Santa exchange, Sam stopped everything until you tell him your final decision just in case you changed your mind, we would all love for you to be a part of it, plus see it this way, if Tony got your name you would have a very expensive gift.” You laughed at that and thanked Steve as he walked out of your office.

You spent the next twenty minutes thinking over Steve’s words and realized you actually had fun with this whole ordeal of ghosty goats. You finally picked your phone up and sent Sam a message “Fine, I’ll take part in your Secret Santa exchange. Don’t get too excited I still hate Christmas but for the right price I can be persuaded to engage in more Christmas activities.”

Five minutes later your phone buzzed with a new text notification, “Free lunch for a week seems fair enough for our Christmas dinner?” Maybe the holidays weren’t as bad as you thought.

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thegreatcorpus · 4 years ago

Text

Leyte Normal University

College of Arts and Sciences

Language and Literature Unit

EVALUATION OF MEDIA CONTENT TRHOUGH LANGUAGE USE

A Concept Paper

Submitted by:

FRNZA MAE G. ARCEGA

JOSHUA D. DAGAMI

MARY JANE LABUTAP

BAEL AE2-1

Submitted to:

MR. ROGELIO TICOY, JR.

Instructor, Language and Media

July 15, 2020

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The term “media linguistics” has been formed based on the combination of two key components “media” and “linguistics”, the subject of this new discipline is the study of language functioning in the sphere of mass communication. In other words, media linguistics deals with overall complex research of a particular social field of language usage. (Luginbühl, 2015)

Language registers refer to the levels of formality are used in different situations and scenarios. It is important to be conscious on how we are going to use language appropriately in presenting our messages, when to use a specific register and in what type of media platform it should be used. Topic, audience, purpose and location should be taken into consideration when choosing a register. According to Nordquist (2019), “there are five existing language registers. It includes frozen/static register, formal register, consultative register, casual register and intimate register.

Language style also known as stylistics, is the study of style used in literary, and verbal language and the effect the writer/speaker wishes to communicate to the reader/hearer. It attempts to establish principles capable of explaining the particular choices made by individuals and social groups in their use of language. It strengthens the contact with the reader and heightens their awareness. (Lamichhane, 2017)

Grammar refers to the structural regulations and rules that govern the construction of phrases, sentences and words in any language. This is because they are extremely important for the communication that is desired. Although, some might argue that correct grammar and spelling does not really matter, especially in advertising, like what Paul Suggett (2010, as mentioned in Sommerfield, 2014) statement “A sentence that is structured beautifully, obeying all the laws, and bylaws, of the English language, is not what advertising is all about. In fact, in advertising you don’t even need to use real words, good sentence structure, and proper punctuation, or obey any of the rules that were drummed into you in school.” Indeed, using grammar seems like an uphill battle, but media content without it is a suicide.

Semiotics, also called semiology, is the study of signs and sign-using behavior. The Swiss Linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, one of its founders, defined it as the study of “the life signs within the society”. On the other hand, American Philosopher Charles Sandres Pierce defined sign as “something which stands to somebody for something” and contributed its categorization into three namely: icon, index and symbol. He added that a sign can never have a definite meaning, for the meaning must be continuously qualified. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2020)

Pragmatics deals with utterances, by which we will mean specific events, the intentional acts of speakers at times and places, typically involving language. Logic and semantics traditionally deal with properties of types of expressions, and not with properties that differ from token to token, or use to use, or, as we shall say, from utterance to utterance, and vary with the particular properties that differentiate them. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2019)

INTRODUCTION

Media is deeply rooted in our lives that it is significant in our personal lives, as well as in business, politics and society. Its importance has grown exponentially. It seems like the world is lifeless without it.

Rapid development of the print and the electronic media, quick growth of virtual communications and the Internet have enormously changed people’s lives, giving stimuli for the development of the whole range of information society theories. (Luginbühl, 2015) It creates an overwhelming feeling which made people to take every information that is served on the table. Oftentimes, it misleads people that is why it is important to critically think and evaluate media content.

Patton (1987) defined evaluation as “a process that critically examines something. It involves collecting and analyzing information which include its activities, characteristics and outcomes. It is done in order to make judgments and to ensure that they are as effective as they can be. It can help us identify media content.

This paper aims to provide criteria that will help media users in evaluating media content of different types of media through language use.

DICUSSION

Media content can be evaluated through representation, audience, institutions, language, ideology, narrative and genre, but we are only going to focus on how language is used in these media types. It is also called as media linguistics.

There are six different types of media: Print Media, Visual Media, Electronic Broadcasting Media, Outdoor Media, Transit Media and Digital Media. Each media type will be evaluated on how language is used, specifically language registers, language style, grammar, semiotics and pragmatics.

PRINT MEDIA

Print media represents the oldest and the most widespread type of mass media published on paper. It includes books, circulars, journals, lithographs, memos, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, and periodicals. (Oxford Reference, 2020)

Evaluating print media content in terms of:

Registers: Papers with an international audience usually use formal register.

Stylistics: It follows formal type of writing. it also uses a hierarchy of information to guide the consumer’s attention towards the most important statement/topic. Claims or statements are supported with evidence either in text or figure. Author’s information is usually detailed to make it easy for prospects to contact them and it holds them accountable for any problems on their published article.

Grammar: In this type of media, correct grammar and spelling should be observed. Based on the study conducted by Appelman & Bolls (2011), grammatical errors can affect the credibility of news stories and the amount of time and effort required to read them. Such errors increases reading difficulty and lower readers’ perception of credibility.

Semiotics: Effective print media design is bold and clear. Fonts should be easy to read and high quality graphics should work together. A few prominent graphics will do a much better job that having numerous elements scattered throughout the page. Contrast is everything. It highlights the most important parts of the message to create some visual appeal. Monotone color palette or tones that are very similar to each other are refrained from using.

Pragmatics: The main function of headlines and titles is to inform the reader briefly about the text that follows. They also signal of the paper’s attitude to the facts reported. Also semantically, the headline can be interpreted due to its literal meaning and inferences that readers reach depending on their cognitive knowledge. In order to demonstrate the meaning in its full efficiency, pragmatic aspects are also helpful in specifying the purpose of the article by making appropriate sense. The writer can use different stylistic devices such as discourse markers and connectors, metaphors, rhetorical questions, and emotive words to facilitate the interpretation of the utterances and attract readers’ attention. (Ismail, 2016)

VISUAL MEDIA

Visual Media as defined by the International Visual Literacy Association is ‘a group of vision competencies a human being can develop by seeing and at the same time having and integrating other sensory experiences. (Welsh & Wright, 2010) In addition to this, it is as a set of competencies that ‘enable a visually literate person to discriminate and interpret the visual actions, objects, and/or creative use of these competencies, we are able to communicate with others. (Debes, 1969) it includes images, paintings, videos and infographics.

Evaluating visual media content in terms of:

Registers: Papers with an international audience usually use formal or casual register to attract a wider scope of audience. Lasquite (n.d.) stated, that visual communication is a key component in visual content marketing. Every marketer understands the value of sending the right message to consumers.

Stylistics: Content of this type of media is not going to be plain and boring if they are full of interesting characters and places, if they are connected to themes like good vs. evil etc. and if they have engaging prose that the audience can appreciate.

Grammar: Bradley (2010) said that design elements are like letters and words. When we add design principles and apply them to our elements, our words, we form a visual grammar. As we learn to use both we enable ourselves to communicate visually. In life we can communicate through the spoken word or through gestures. In design we’re bound by a visual language. Even the words on the page are made up of characters of type which are abstract shapes. Written language itself is a visual representation of spoken language. Bradley also stated that the visual grammar, is the context within which we study design principles. When we learn to use girds or better understand typography or color we are doing so in order to communicate more effectively with our audience. The principles are the trees. Visual grammar is the forest.

Semiotics: Parsa (n.d.) stated that in visual semiotics iconic signs look like its object. They are more ‘motivated’ signs. The indexical signs draw attention to the thing to which it refers. The symbol signs, - e.g. a red rose is a symbol of ‘passion’ in Valentine’s Day and means ‘love’– are unmotivated or arbitrary. In a different culture this color of flower may not signify ‘passion’ or ‘love’. Also, any information, if not directly provided, is gained via a process of interpretation. Texts are not always produced recognizable codes in a communicative process. Usage of symbolic narratives, metaphors and metonymy may restrain the comprehension and signification of the text. In other words, in the exploration of the connotations and the associations, one requires to “make interpretations”. It also includes the material used, camera angles and color filters.

Pragmatics: David Lodge, writing in the Paradise News, says that pragmatics gives humans "a fuller, deeper, and generally more reasonable account of human language behavior." Without pragmatics, there is often no understanding of what language actually means, or what a person truly means when she is speaking. The context—the social signs, the image, body language, and tone of voice (the pragmatics)—is what makes utterances clear or unclear to the speaker and her listeners.

ELECTRONIC BROADCASTING MEDIA

Electronic media is the media that one can share on any electronic device for the audiences viewing, internet to transmit facts, skills, understanding, knowledge and appreciation with the aims of to attract general publics in general and marketers in particular. Popular examples of electronic media are television and radio. (Wikipedia, 2020)

Evaluating electronic broadcasting media content in terms of:

Registers: Electronic broadcasting media sometimes use formal register because less rigid but still constrained, where communication is expected to be respectful, uninterrupted, and restrained. Slang is never used and contractions are rare. However, it also uses consultative register. often in conversation when they are speaking with someone who has specialized knowledge or who is offering advice

Stylistics: Electronic broadcasting media is combined with a general negative view against excessive foul language has tempered electronic broadcasting into a much more “family friendly” media form. They use electromechanical energy or electronics for public to access the content. Main resources of electronic media are CD-ROM, online content, slide presentations, audio recordings, video recordings and multimedia presentations. Emotional appeal and repetition is highly observed.

Grammar: Electronic broadcasting media encompasses any form of media that is primarily consumed through listening. The grammars that they used in conveying the information to the audience are appealing and interested in the ears and eyes of the viewer.

Semiotics: Electronic broadcasting media uses connotation since they are designed to generate culturally-significant meanings. Iconic sign is usually used in advertisements of this media type. Advertisers do this, not only through repetition, but also through the combining of symbols, bringing words, images and music together into one meaningful and coherent composition.

Pragmatics: Its language contains plural codes, which interact to create new meanings or messages. Electronic broadcasting media uses the language without any opinion to the audience and convey the information just like they are interacting to the audience.

OUTDOOR MEDIA

Outdoor media is typically consisting of any advertising seen outside of the home, and is primarily grouped into a few specific categories such Billboards, posters and transit to name a few. Outdoor advertisements are the best medium to inform the moving population. Once an advertisement board is installed at a place, it usually remains there for a fairly longer period. What is best in outdoor media is that it can be displayed at a place where best impact can be created. (Nguyen, 2020)

Evaluating outdoor media content in terms of:

Registers: It uses casual register because it is probably use when you consider how you talk with other people, often in a group setting—marketers to be specific. Use of slang, contractions, and vernacular grammar is all common in Outdoor media. Also, Outdoor media uses the static register wherein it contains government agency rules, proposed rules, and public notices.

Stylistics: Outdoor media often uses public notices in advertising to different locations. It also uses figurative languages to make their advertisement more reliable and catchier to the commuters or even to the tourists. Outdoor media uses visual techniques to make the viewers more attentive and languages are more powerful in visualizing their ads for the commuters and tourists to have a desirable view.

Grammar: Just like any advertising and marketing strategy, outdoor advertising requires research and preparation so that their use of grammar may not be mistaken because it can affect their viewer’s insight about their advertisement.

Semiotics: When it comes to branding and advertising, semiotics can provide some amazing insights. In some cases, the sign can be an exact representation of the thing being signified, while in other cases, it may be a symbol associated with it. In outdoor media, they use image to visualize the product being sold. They also use word to convey a message with the same effectiveness as an entire picture. It uses the Rule of Thirds and The Golden Mean.

Pragmatics: Outdoor media uses words and images to advertise their products and the words and pictures that they are using, connects to the understanding of the people. The words and images they used are more attractive, catchy and have a bigger size for their viewers to be more interested in their advertisement.

TRANSIT MEDIA

Transit media refers to advertising placed in, on, or around modes of public transportation: buses, subways, and taxis, as well as at bus, train, and subway stations. Transit media can be a great way to reach a really diverse audience: families traveling to daycares, professionals heading to work, tourists navigating a new town, or even students making their way to a local coffee shop. (Hendricks, 2020)

Evaluating transit media content in terms of:

Registers: Conversational register is often used in this type of media because of its target audience.

Stylistics: Placing a message outside targets a larger audience and is recognized by three quarters of passing individuals. It serves as a last minute reminder or as impulse motivator at pricely a time when real and potential consumers are on the move. Exterior bus posters, displayed on the front, back, and sides of the vehicle, offer advertisers high exposure, particularly in largeurban areas. There are commuters and tourists, or people in cabs, rental cars, and on foot who can see the rolling billboard go by. According to "The Complete Guide to Creative Out-Of-Home Media Forms," bus exteriors are available in 80 to 85 percent of the top 100 markets in the United States on more than 36,500 buses. The bus exteriors provide "mass audience exposures" that are repeated and reinforced as they follow the same routes every day. The more innovative, intriguing and humorous it is, the better.

Grammar: The message should be brief consisting of at least 3-5 words.

Semiotics: It also helps that nearly all transit ads are available at eye level with large graphics and text. The message should be legible. Colors are used to contrast each other. It builds a recognizable format or layout that catches the briefest eyes contact.

Pragmatics: Every transit agency that advertises has guidelines dealing with "objectionable" material. The problem comes in defining what might fall into that category. Seventy percent of the respondents indicated that they had formal, written guidelines addressing ad content. The restrictions differ throughout the transit industry, but generally include some variation of the following prohibited content: illegal, indecent, or immoral ads; political, alcohol, or tobacco ads; libelous, obscene, or profane ads; ads that ridicule individuals or groups of people; advocacy of or opposition to a religion, denomination, tenet, or belief; violent, criminal, or anti-social behavior; false, misleading, or deceptive ads; adult materials and services; explicit sexual material; pornography or businesses that traffic in pornography; and advertising that appears as graffiti, gang signs, or symbols.

DIGITAL MEDIA

Digital media are any media that are encoded in machine-readable formats. Digital media can be created, viewed, distributed, modified and preserved on digital electronics devices. Examples of digital media include software, digital images, digital video, video games, web pages and websites, social media, digital data and databases, digital audio such as MP3, electronic documents and electronic books. (Richard, 2013 as mentioned in Wikepedia, 2020).

Evaluating digital media content in terms of:

Registers: It uses casual register or consultative register because it is probably use when you consider how you talk with other people, often in a group setting—marketers to be specific.

Stylistics: User-generated content raises issues of privacy, credibility, civility and compensation for cultural, intellectual and artistic contributions. The spread of digital media, and the wide range of literacy and communications skills necessary to use it effectively, have deepened the digital divide between those who have access to digital media and those who don't. Each digital media network has its own intended purpose and audience. Understanding this and matching your content and tone to the proper social media outlet is imperative for success..

Grammar: Gumpart & Cathcart examined how new media develop their own grammars, the way individual acquire media literacy, and the effect of media literacy on ways people relate to the world and each other. It concludes that people develop different states of media consciousness based upon the… media grammars, and that particular consciousness produce media gaps which separate people.

Semiotics: When it comes to graphics, it uses color psychology. Photos and videos can boost your social media strategy. Tweets that feature images earn 150 percent more retweets are favorited 89 percent more and lead to 18 percent more clicks. Typing in all capital letters is visually alarming, they also communicate that you’re upset (and yelling) about something. It should be avoided. When used correctly, hashtags will increase your online visibility and followers. When used in excess, it looks spammy and becomes ineffective.

Pragmatics: Its language contains speech acts like constatives (assertive, concessives, suggestive, suppositive, responsive), directives (request, question & requirement), expressives (thank, accept, reject, negative opinion & positive opinion) and attachments (link, code & log).

CONCLUSION

Media has evolved rapidly over the last couple of centuries. These changes brought a lot of convenience in accessing different types of information, from typical newspapers to our smartphones. It provided an ocean of information these days, but “we need to be critical enough not to drown in hoaxes and misinformation.” Hence, it is our duty to be responsible consumers of information, regardless of media type, and to examine every small detail we see and hear on the media. Indeed, “media is a blessing for humans as it plays a vital role in our personal lives and many other walks of our lives.” It lies upon us who decide whether “media is a blessing or a curse.”

REFERENCES:

Gray, J. (2008). How to move into moving media: Transit Media. Journal of Marketing. Retrieved from https://journals.co.za/content/mfsa1/2008/04/EJC74350

Gumpert, G. & Cathcart, R. (2009). Media grammars, generations, and media gaps. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/15295038509360059

Appelman, A. & Bolls, p. (2011). Article Recall, Credibility Lower with Grammar Errors. Newspaper Research Journal. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/073953291103200205

Herrmann, E. (2015). Language Register: What is it and why does it matter in education? Retrieved from https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/language-register-what-is-it-and-why-does-it-matter/education

Nordquist, R. (2019). What is Register in Linguistics? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/register-language-style-1692038

Eilders,C. (2016). Print Media. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/9781118541555.wbiepc193#accessDenialLayout

Wikipedia (2020). Digital Media. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/digital_media

Wikipedia (2020). Electronic Media. Retrieved fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media

Oaks, D. (2011). Rethinking the role of grammar in advertising and marketing curriculum. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/073953291103200205?journalCode=nrja#:~:text=It%20was%20observed%20that%20grammar,retention%20and%20low%20perceived%20credibility.

Nguyen, G. (2020). Types of Outdoor Media. Retrieved from https://penji.co/types-of-outdoor-advertising/

Oxford Reference (2020). Print media. Retrieved from https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100346392

Lewis, J. (2020). Semiotics in Advertising. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-semiotics-advertising-38593.html#:~:text=Semiotics%20are%20frequently%20used%20in,symbol%20that%20signifies%20something%20else.

Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020). Semiotics. Retrieved from https://encyclopaediabritannica./semiotics

Authors:

Frenza Mae G. Arcega

Joshua D. Dagami

Mary Jane Labutap

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foameye7-blog · 5 years ago

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What Is SEO?

What Is Actually Supposed Through Digital Marketing?

When it pertains to understanding what is suggested through digital marketing, it is very important to consider that there are so many different factors that digital marketing has the capacity to do for you. ze inspecteerden en studeerden to acquire a crystal clear picture of just how this marketing is heading to benefit you is actually to use the following examples of just how you can utilize digital marketing in your very own organisation or in your personal life. The perks that you will definitely be able to acquire coming from digital marketing are actually additionally heading to arise from what form of marketing attempts you are actually carrying out on the internet and also just how much loan you want to purchase marketing your business.

The initial thing that is actually mosting likely to be performed when digital marketing is taken advantage of is actually to offer your company or your own self high quality customer info. This can be performed by including consumer assessments and acquiring consumer reviews. This is something that is going to must be carried out often, however it is going to help a whole lot to get a solid bottom to build your service. In reality, often times folks will definitely begin to give reviews on their customers that they might not like due to the fact that it will definitely aid to give a much better client service expertise to every person involved.

The following point that is actually going to be actually made with digital marketing is to utilize it to attract new consumers to your business. This is going to be carried out by receiving the word out that your provider is making changes in order to create all of them happen. You will definitely intend to ensure that you use incentives such as cost-free samples as well as complimentary gifts so as to allow individuals to observe for themselves what is actually terrific about your service. Once they have produced their acquisition, it is visiting be the aspect of yield for all of them to keep going back as well as purchasing more items.

Next, customers are actually heading to want to know what they may do to make their buying adventure simpler. Digital marketing is actually going to aid to modify that by giving recommendations on what you can do to make the shopping expertise effortless. Along with just a simple hit, you are going to have the capacity to know exactly how to make the buying experience also easier.

Finally, you will certainly wish to ensure that you give your consumers sustain for concerns that they might have. This is heading to be made with on-line customer help which could be accessed from your website. If your consumers are actually inquiring inquiries, you will wish to have the capacity to supply all of them along with the solutions that they need to have to ensure that they have the ability to proceed with their acquisition.

One more trait that is actually heading to be actually utilized by digital marketing is to acquire referrals. This could be done by utilizing internet sites like referralscafe.com and also digitalmarketingpros.com. These sites are going to enable you to gain these suggestions and also they will definitely be actually incredibly dedicated customers that agree to refer others to your organisation.

The final trait that is actually going to be done with digital marketing is actually to create a partnership with your customers. In this particular scenario, you will definitely wish to have the ability to recognize what is occurring to all of them individually. This is something that will certainly operate in that you may be able to remain in touch with your consumers as well as provide suggestions and also tips that they can easily use and also get them involved in something that they are interested in.

Keep in mind that when you are looking at what is actually implied by digital marketing, you will wish to make certain that you are able to acquire each one of the above aspects working with you. It is regularly heading to be vital to make use of each of the various information that are actually offered to ensure that you can ensure that you are able to be actually the most ideal in your sector.

What SEO Way

What SEO indicates remains in quick, making certain that the entire website as well as certainly not merely a little section of it is actually optimized for the search engines. This could be performed by using links from high page position web sites to offer your site a good rank in the online search engine. A website must be enhanced for various types to ensure each classification will certainly give you different forms of search phrases. You likewise must enhance each webpage to ensure that your internet site will obtain crept faster and concurrently, will receive recorded much faster too. Also, if you are using web content composing for your internet site, you must include keyword phrases in each your short articles to make sure that they may be easily catalogued by the search engines.

Additionally, you must use the search phrase filling technique to create your site spider welcoming and also will definitely make it very easy for the search engines to index it. Meta tags may be made use of in your link tags as well as your headlines. Search phrases are actually throughout your website to provide it a great looking web site to ensure that it may effortlessly be crawled. All this ought to be actually observed by various other SEO approaches like article submission and search phrase stuffing in blog posts, forums. All these approaches must be actually correctly applied in order to produce your internet site ranking higher in the search engines.

By applying SEO in your website, it is going to absolutely help you to position higher in the online search engine. But, there are couple of things that you must always remember to make sure that you will definitely have the ability to do it ideal and also your website will place higher in the online search engine.

youtube

When individuals consider what is SEO and how it works, many of all of them are amazed to know that it actually operates in an extremely straightforward technique. This is not a complex method that will definitely need any individual to devote dozens dollars in order to assemble. This is actually certainly not something that just a professional will definitely have the capacity to carry out. This is actually an approach that is utilized through 1000s of folks everyday to get results as promptly as achievable.

Seo, additionally known as SEO, can be broken down into three various segments. These 3 various factors will certainly be actually utilized to obtain the very best results for someone. Among these 3 different techniques is actually phoned keyword research study. Key phrase analysis is the process of locating the most ideal key words that the individual will definitely be utilizing when composing their post. The various other two approaches of SEO are more involved however the most important of these is hyperlink structure.

SEO can be perplexing but it is actually not difficult to know. It is one of the most important think about the excellence of an individual who wants to create a post. Each of the info that has actually been provided listed below should give any person a better understanding of what SEO is as well as how it functions. Anybody who is actually anticipating trying to receive their posts out right into the globe as well as making money should understand every one of the important points that they require to know about this technique.

What Are Actually SEO Skills? Exactly How Can I Establish What Are Actually SEO Skills?

How can I establish what are actually SEO capabilities? There are a number of SEO software program offered on the market, however they all assert to become the best, as well as each of all of them is offered through firms who have been in business for long. All the instruction offered along with these software devices is actually small, as well as no one offers you an extensive program. All you obtain is a long list of tools and overviews, and that's it. You do not get all the expertise about just how to use these devices, and a lot of the quick guides as well as tools are constructed along with little or no care about your particular necessities.

If you wish to achieve success in marketing your website, at that point you must recognize what are actually SEO abilities? First, you need to find out about the relevance of key phrases in SEO. It is necessary to understand that key phrases participate in a significant part in your website's excellence. Keyword phrases play a crucial job because online search engine consider them when they're attempting to understand your website's reason, so they position your website based upon the use of keyword phrases in your website content and also on the label tag of each page.

Along with correct SEO, your website is going to have the ability to rate in the best ten end results for a keyword that is very important to your website. The 2nd factor is your goal of possessing an one-of-a-kind headline tag and one-of-a-kind web deal with. Replicate web content is never ever good for your web site. Given that internet search engine merely check if an internet site has fresh as well as unique web content, making reproduce web content will definitely not assist you position higher. For keywords, use support text message web links that lead to your posts as well as content.

What is Hyperlink Property SEO?

Seo (SEO) is the method of improving a website's positions in internet search engine leads web pages (SERPs). It is actually a critical measure for entrepreneur to improve their web sites and make use of all online marketing (SEO) strategies. SEO aids to boost a website's direct exposure and likewise gives the opportunity to raise website visitor traffic. SEO fulfills 2 reasons: initially, it targets possible customers to your site; and also second, it improves the number of back links that lead your guests to various other websites. The overall excellence of your website depends upon the means you use keyword phrases and also key phrases in your headline tag, in your body content of your web page and in the Links. Keywords are very important due to the fact that they may inform an internet search engine what your internet site concerns.

Website ontwerp is actually an important part of SEO. It entails establishing web links that go to your internet site or LINK, which will direct traffic to your site. The very best sort of hyperlink building is actually a reciprocatory web link. A reciprocal link is actually one that points a customer to another website coming from all yours. You can easily likewise have incoming hyperlinks with post and also post listings.

You may effortlessly build links by joining discussion forums, publishing your posts in various article directories and submitting your link to short article marketing online forums. Blog writing can easily likewise be an excellent source of hyperlink building. On top of that, you may possess inbound links through online forums, online forums with high-quality web content, discussion forums along with the great voting body, and from private blog sites. These are merely several of the ways in which you may create hyperlinks. Making use of SEO techniques is necessary. Do certainly not stop at creating hyperlinks to your site. You need to regularly be optimizing your website.

Just how Do I End Up Being an AdWords Expert? - A Quick guide For Beginners

How do I become an AdWords expert? This question can be addressed through considering what creates a successful hunt marketing campaign. The expert pays additional focus to their AdWords projects. While your objective is actually to drive website traffic to the web site, the expert makes a decision which web links should visit each individual and also how they yearn for the website visitor to click on these hyperlinks.

What makes it an AdWords process is the AdWords customer pays for much less focus to this kind of project than to a ppc (PPC) project. The big variation between both is that the PPC campaigns are automated. The AdWords initiatives are not. The process involves picking which add web links go to which customers as well as maximizing those advertisements based upon the keywords as well as the website visitor's internet browser kind. The ppc user must don't forget to connect themselves to the correct adds.

Furthermore, there are a considerable amount of points you need to have to bear in mind when you begin along with AdWords. To begin with, you require to think about the hunt terms you intend to utilize and pick some that would draw in the guests that hunt for these phrases. You also require to see to it that the site is as visitor-friendly as achievable. By design, you don't desire guests that may not be thinking about what you must use to go elsewhere. Second, it is actually important that you find out which keyword phrases ought to be your target audience. At that point, you need to have to use the ideal keyword phrase device to find out what sort of internet sites possess these terms and how many of them have a lot of web traffic. Lastly, you also need to have to identify which advertisement teams are better matched for your website.

How Can Marketing Improve Your Company?

There are several significances for the condition "digital marketing." Many people utilize the condition in an extra general feeling to illustrate any type of marketing that involves a computer unit and also the world wide web. The world wide web is the base of what a person carries out each day; therefore, it is essential that the individual comprehends just how to industry properly utilizing the net.

People today have come to be more technologically intelligent and also comprehend that they can generate cash marketing on the web customer products. One of the most common technique of marketing is actually to market to individuals that intend to get the products you are actually selling.

Most of the monetize an on-line business will originate from clients who obtain items and solutions. Several of the simple techniques of internet marketing include giving a service or product by means of a website, making use of search engine optimization procedures, as well as making high quality web content on your website. Moreover, the main point of marketing by means of the world wide web is actually to steer as much traffic to the website as possible.

Just before opting for exactly how to boost your firm's photo, it is actually required to understand what is actually indicated through digital marketing. This involves all types of promotional advertising and marketing that include internet promo. Digital marketing additionally incorporates marketing such items with a web portal including ebay.com, in order that clients may observe what is accessible, proposal on the product, and after that buy it. Digital marketing also consists of promoting business with email newsletters, social media sites, as well as website online forums.

The first step in digital marketing is to learn what is actually meant through digital marketing as well as create a method for its implementation. To accomplish this, you need to have to collect information coming from others who are actually engaged in the procedure. A specialist specialist will certainly aid you identify exactly how to implement your suggestions as well as put together a budget for the task.

Lots of people who have an on the internet business will certainly not even think of applying digital marketing strategies. Having said that, there are actually many organisations that fall short simply since they carry out not know just how to strengthen their graphic and also their purchases. These companies fall short because they perform certainly not understand the worth of a quality picture; thereby, they stop working in selling their products.

If you are actually a businessman, you must comprehend the true potential of marketing via the internet. You must understand that to market the goods you are marketing, you have to have the ability to create purchases and enhance the worth of your provider. Without comprehending this fact, you will definitely remain to be actually discouraged with failure.

It is possible to discover exactly how to increase your market allotment by means of digital marketing if you wish to end up being a prosperous entrepreneur. All you need to have to carry out is actually to seek the information that is needed to have, set up a finances, and put together a plan to attain effectiveness.

What is WordPress Website Design? Learn What WordPress is

What is actually WordPress web design? Do many people question what is actually WordPress web design? For those that are actually certainly not acquainted with the condition, WordPress is actually a totally free writing a blog platform that is being actually used online. It is similar to a blogging site in a traditional way, but it has numerous added functions and also functions, and also it is among the most well-liked blogging platforms available today. Today, the majority of internet sites use WordPress, due to the fact that it is actually effortless to mount, basic to utilize, and also very easy to use.

Thus, what is actually WordPress web design? One of the most significant perks of making use of WordPress is that it is user-friendly. Since WordPress is actually fairly brand-new on the Internet, the majority of webmasters carry out not have a good idea concerning just how to construct a website from the ground up. WordPress may be configured to make the process simple. Nevertheless, there are actually additionally many "cheats" available for novices, as well as they may offer some assistance. If you want to learn more concerning creating a WordPress website, there are actually a lot of guides available online that educate you all you need to have to know about how to produce a website in WordPress. The best method to begin is by opting for a template given that the template will certainly give you a suggestion of what you may expect from a WordPress website.

What is WordPress website design? Another benefit of making use of WordPress is actually that it is compatible along with a lot of CMSs. WordPress is compatible along with Drupal, Joomla, and various other open-source CMSs. It is actually additionally easy to add plugins to WordPress, that makes it simpler to incorporate new capability to the website. However, if you select to make use of a customized design template, you may easily add performance to the website and also tailor it to your needs.

#SEO service #SEO bedrijf #beste SEO bedrijf #zoekmachineoptimalisatie

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squashhelium5-blog · 5 years ago

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Google AdWords Archives - Obtain More Traffic

What Is Actually Meant By Digital Marketing?

When it concerns knowing what is meant through digital marketing, it is essential to keep in mind that there are so many various factors that digital marketing has the ability to create for you. A nice way to get a clear picture of how this marketing is going to benefit you is to utilize the following examples of how you could use digital marketing in your personal organisation or even in your personal lifestyle. The perks that you will have the capacity to obtain coming from digital marketing are actually additionally mosting likely to come from what form of marketing efforts you are doing on the web as well as just how much money you want to invest in marketing your organisation.

The first thing that is actually going to be done when digital marketing is taken advantage of is to provide your provider or your own self first class client information. This can be performed by including customer assessments and also receiving customer endorsements. This is something that will certainly must be actually done regularly, but it will aid a lot to get a sound foundation to construct your organisation. Actually, many times individuals will begin to provide reviews on their consumers that they may certainly not as if since it will help to supply a better customer support expertise to everybody included.

The next trait that is visiting be actually performed with digital marketing is to utilize it to attract new clients to your service. This is mosting likely to be done by obtaining the word out that your business is actually making changes so as to create them take place. You are going to desire to ensure that you deliver motivations like free of cost examples as well as free of charge presents in order to allow folks to observe on their own what is actually fantastic about your business. Once they have produced their investment, it is actually heading to be the point of yield for all of them to keep coming back and also buying even more products.

Next off, customers are heading to wish to know what they can possibly do to produce their purchasing expertise simpler. Digital marketing is actually heading to aid to change that by giving suggestions on what you can do to create the shopping expertise quick and easy. Along with only an easy click on, you will certainly manage to know how to produce the buying experience even easier.

Last but not least, you are going to would like to make certain that you give your clients reinforce for inquiries that they may possess. This is mosting likely to be actually performed with internet customer assistance which could be accessed coming from your website. If your clients are actually inquiring questions, you will certainly would like to have the ability to deliver them with the answers that they need to ensure that they have the capacity to continue with their acquisition.

An additional factor that is actually heading to be used through digital marketing is actually to obtain suggestions. This could be carried out by using sites like referralscafe.com as well as digitalmarketingpros.com. These internet sites will enable you to gain these references and also they will be actually really devoted consumers that are willing to recommend others to your business.

The last point that is actually going to be done with digital marketing is to develop a partnership with your clients. Within this situation, you will definitely wish to have the capacity to recognize what is occurring to them directly. This is something that is going to operate in that you can be able to keep in touch along with your customers as well as give them tips as well as tips that they can easily utilize as well as obtain them associated with something that they are interested in.

Remember that when you are actually examining what is meant through digital marketing, you are going to would like to see to it that you manage to obtain every one of the above components working for you. It is actually constantly mosting likely to be essential to make use of each of the various resources that are available so that you can ensure that you are able to be the most ideal in your market.

metacafe

What SEO Way

What SEO means remains in brief, seeing to it that the entire website and also not just a little section of it is optimized for the online search engine. This can be carried out by using links coming from high webpage position internet sites to offer your internet site an excellent position in the search engines. A site needs to be improved for different groups in order that each classification will definitely provide you various forms of keywords. You also need to improve each webpage to make sure that your website will receive crawled quicker as well as simultaneously, will definitely receive listed quicker too. Likewise, if you are actually using content composing for your internet site, you need to consist of key words in all your short articles in order that they can be quickly indexed due to the online search engine.

Additionally, you need to utilize the key words padding strategy in order to make your site crawler pleasant and also will make it really effortless for the online search engine to mark it. Meta tags may be utilized in your web link tags as well as your headlines. Key phrases are throughout your website to provide it a good looking web site so that it may conveniently be crept. All this ought to be observed through other SEO techniques like short article submission as well as key words filling in blogs, discussion forums. All these procedures must be actually properly implemented in order to make your website rank high in the internet search engine.

By applying SEO in your website, it is going to absolutely help you to position high in the online search engine. Yet, there are couple of points that you must always remember to make sure that you will definitely have the capacity to do it appropriate and also your website will certainly place higher in the internet search engine.

When people think of what is SEO and also how it works, a number of all of them are actually amazed to discover that it in fact functions in a quite easy technique. This is not a complicated method that will require any person to spend manies dollars in order to come up with. This is actually certainly not something that only an expert will certainly manage to carry out. This is a technique that is actually made use of through hundreds of individuals everyday so as to get results as quickly as possible.

Online Marketing, also referred to as SEO, may be malfunctioned right into three different sections. These three various aspects will certainly be utilized to acquire the best results for somebody. Some of these three various procedures is gotten in touch with keyword analysis. Key phrase analysis is the procedure of locating the best search phrases that the person will certainly be actually making use of when creating their article. The various other pair of approaches of SEO are much more involved however the absolute most necessary of these is link building.

SEO could be complex yet it is actually uncomplicated to understand. It is among the most crucial factors in the results of a person who wants to write a write-up. Each one of the information that has been given right here ought to provide any person a better understanding of what SEO is actually and how it functions. Anyone who is considering trying to acquire their write-ups out into the world and also making money must understand each one of the essential things that they need to have to know about this technique.

What Are SEO Skill-sets? Just How Can I Calculate What Are SEO Capabilities?

Just how can I determine what are actually SEO skill-sets? There are many SEO software offered available, but they all profess to become the very best, as well as each of all of them is sold by companies who have remained in business for long. All the instruction delivered along with these software program devices is suggested, and also no one offers you an extensive strategy. All you get is a long checklist of resources and guides, and that's it. You do not acquire all the knowledge regarding how to use these devices, and many of the guides as well as tools are built with little or even no appreciate your details requirements.

If you intend to be successful in marketing your website, after that you must know what are SEO skill-sets? To begin with, you should learn about the significance of key words in SEO. It is vital to understand that search phrases play a big task in your website's effectiveness. Key words participate in a crucial function considering that internet search engine consider all of them when they're attempting to understand your website's purpose, so they rank your website based on making use of key phrases in your web site information as well as on the label tag of each web page.

With appropriate SEO, your website is going to manage to rate in the leading ten end results for a keyword that is vital to your website. The second factor is your purpose of possessing an unique label tag and unique web address. Duplicate content is never great for your site. Because online search engine simply examine if a website includes new and special content, helping make duplicate web content will definitely not assist you position higher. For keywords, use anchor text message hyperlinks that lead to your posts as well as information.

What is actually Web Link Property SEO?

Seo (SEO) is actually the method of improving a website's positions in online search engine results pages (SERPs). It is actually a critical measure for entrepreneur to enhance their sites and take advantage of all online marketing (SEO) techniques. SEO helps to strengthen a website's exposure and additionally gives the possibility to increase website traffic. SEO serves pair of functions: to begin with, it targets possible consumers to your website; as well as second, it improves the lot of back links that lead your guests to various other websites. The general excellence of your web site depends on the means you use search phrases and also key phrases in your title tag, in your body system content of your web page as well as in the Links. Key words are very important given that they can tell a search engine what your internet site has to do with.

Link Structure is actually an essential part of SEO. It entails creating web links that most likely to your internet site or URL, which will certainly point web traffic to your internet site. The most ideal kind of link property is a mutual web link. An equivalent link is actually one that points an individual to an additional website from all yours. You can likewise possess incoming hyperlinks by means of blog and also write-up directories.

You can easily develop links by participating in forums, posting your articles in different write-up listings and also submitting your web link to article marketing discussion forums. Writing a blog can also be a great source of hyperlink structure. In addition, you can possess incoming web links via online forums, forums along with high-grade content, forums along with the really good voting system, as well as coming from private blog sites. These are actually only a number of the methods which you can create hyperlinks. Using SEO strategies is important. Do not quit at creating web links to your internet site. You should regularly be actually maximizing your website.

How Do I End Up Being an AdWords Expert? - A Quick guide For Beginners

How perform I come to be an AdWords expert? This inquiry can be addressed by considering what makes an effective hunt marketing project. The expert pays more interest to their AdWords campaigns. While your goal is to steer traffic to the site, the expert makes a decision which web links should most likely to each individual and also how they want the guest to click these web links.

What makes it an AdWords process is actually the AdWords individual spends a lot less interest to this kind of campaign than to a ppc (PPC) initiative. The major distinction in between the 2 is that the Pay Per Click projects are automated. The AdWords campaigns are certainly not. The method includes choosing which advertisement web links most likely to which users and maximizing those ads based on the key phrases as well as the guest's internet browser kind. The pay per click individual must always remember to link themselves to the appropriate ads.

On top of that, there are actually a great deal of points you require to bear in mind when you begin with AdWords. First, you require to consider the search terms you would like to utilize and also decide on some that will draw in the website visitors that seek these terms. You likewise require to make certain that the site is actually as visitor-friendly as possible. Deliberately, you do not really want visitors that may not be thinking about what you need to give to go somewhere else. Second, it is actually vital that you determine which keywords ought to be your target market. Then, you require to use the correct key words tool to find out what form of web sites possess these terms and also how many of them have a considerable amount of web traffic. Finally, you additionally need to find out which ad groups are better matched for your website.

Exactly How Can Marketing Improve Your Service?

There are several significances for the term "digital marketing." Many individuals make use of the condition in an extra general feeling to describe any kind of marketing that entails a computer unit and also the net. The net is the foundation of what a person carries out daily; as a result, it is essential that the person comprehends exactly how to industry properly utilizing the net.

Folks today have come to be extra highly wise as well as know that they can easily make money offering on-line consumer products. One of the most common technique of marketing is actually to market to individuals that want to buy the items you are actually marketing.

The majority of the monetize an internet company will arise from customers that obtain goods as well as services. A number of the basic techniques of internet marketing include providing a service or product by means of a website, using online marketing approaches, and generating top quality content on your website. Additionally, the essence of marketing by means of the net is to drive as much visitor traffic to the website as possible.

Before picking how to strengthen your business's image, it is actually essential to know what is meant by digital marketing. This entails all kinds of marketing advertising and marketing that involve online promo. Digital marketing likewise covers marketing such items by means of a web website like eBay, to ensure clients can observe what is actually on call, quote on the thing, and then buy it. Digital marketing additionally consists of advertising business with email bulletins, social networks web sites, and also website discussion forums.

The primary step in digital marketing is to find out what is actually suggested through digital marketing and also cultivate a tactic for its implementation. To do this, you require to collect information from others who are participated in the method. A professional expert will definitely assist you figure out just how to execute your ideas and set up an allocate the project.

Most people who have an internet company is going to not also think about carrying out digital marketing strategies. However, there are numerous companies that fall short merely given that they do not know exactly how to boost their graphic and also their purchases. These organisations stop working considering that they carry out not understand the value of a quality graphic; thus, they fall short in marketing their products.

If you are a business person, you must comprehend the true capacity of marketing by means of the net. You need to understand that to market the goods you are selling, you must have the ability to generate purchases as well as increase the worth of your provider. Without comprehending this fact, you are going to remain to be annoyed along with failing.

It is actually possible to discover how to increase your market reveal through digital marketing if you would like to end up being a prosperous business person. All you need to perform is actually to request the relevant information that is needed, put together a finances, as well as set up a plan to attain results.

What is WordPress Website Design? Discover What WordPress is actually

What is WordPress web design? Perform lots of people wonder what is WordPress website design? For those that are certainly not aware of the term, WordPress is a free of cost writing a blog platform that is actually being actually made use of on the net. It corresponds to a blog post in a traditional means, yet it has a lot of added functions and functionalities, and it is one of the most well-liked blogging platforms offered today. Today, a lot of web sites make use of WordPress, because it is simple to install, straightforward to use, and quite straightforward.

So, what is actually WordPress web design? Some of the largest advantages of using WordPress is actually that it is straightforward. Since WordPress is pretty brand new online, many webmasters carry out not possess a great concept concerning just how to develop a website from the ground up. WordPress could be set up to make the procedure effortless. Nonetheless, there are actually additionally numerous "cheats" offered for amateurs, and they can provide some assistance. If you desire to find out more about producing a WordPress website, there are a lot of guides on call online that instruct you all you need to understand about how to develop a website in WordPress. The most effective method to begin is through selecting a layout because the theme will give you a tip of what you may expect from a WordPress website.

What is actually WordPress web design? One more benefit of making use of WordPress is that it works along with several CMSs. WordPress is compatible with Drupal, Joomla, and various other open-source CMSs. It is additionally simple to add plugins to WordPress, that makes it easier to include new performance to the website. Nonetheless, if you opt for to use a personalized template, you may simply incorporate functionality to the website as well as customize it to your requirements.

#SEO service #SEO bedrijf #beste SEO bedrijf #zoekmachineoptimalisatie

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ocehans · 5 years ago

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9 Essential WEB SITE DESIGN Methods for DIY Beginners

Let’s get right down to it, shall we? Below are a few of the very most useful styles and guidelines to learn when building your first website:

1. SET ASIDE the Mouse, GRAB a Pencil

Your site may already exist as a lovely, complete entity in your mind which is the reason why you immediately leap into Photoshop (or worse, an internet browser and HTML) to plan it out. Whoa, whoa-cool your jets for another! Don’t place the cart before the equine. First, get out a pencil and pad of paper and start putting your ideas into something easily tangible. That is an important stage to map out the framework of your site using only rectangles, doodles and influenced ideas (categorized as wireframing). Things can be very tough at this time; no one’s heading to view it nevertheless, you.

It is more easily at this time to alter designs you originally thought works however now discover are cluttered and confusing in writing. This can save you many hours of disappointment instead of making the same finding after the site is coded and in a web browser. Plus, it can help significantly to create a web page when you have research at hand to seek advice from rather than moving in blind.

2. Follow a Hierarchy

It’s an undeniable fact that a lot of web surfers tend to only check out webpages rather than take time to read everything. You should be ready because of this by placing the most crucial content first. This means that a consumer can break down the most essential information on a full page all in a single screen on preliminary load, and never have to focus or scroll. That is, of course, easier said than done. Here are some tips to help you better understand the significance of the design theory:

Keep Content “Above the Collapse”

We call that preliminary display of loaded content “the fold”-and everything below it that must be scrolled to be observed is considered supplementary. Generally, your most significant information rests “above the collapse”. The crucial thing to perform within this area is to entice a consumer to do this or generate the motivation to scroll down further.

Utilizing a “Hero” Image

A common trend in web site design nowadays is to fill this “above the fold” area using what is named a “hero” image or banner. They are full-screen history images with very succinct and to-the-point overlaid text messages, usually combined with a call-to-action button. Feasibly the whole purpose of the net web page could be included within this banner area, although it also acts as a great primer for this content to follow.

“The Collapse” May Change With regards to the Device

Here’s where things become complicated-and why you shouldn’t overburden yourself attempting to match everything above this marvelous line. Concerning the user’s device, the display screen sizes could differ greatly. A jaw-dropping 5K screen has a vertical quality of 2880 pixels, whereas an iPhone 5 has not even half of this. This means that mobile users just aren’t heading to have the ability to fit as much content to their display real property. (More upon this later.)

3. Typography Is Your Design

Unless you’re owning a photography business, the text is the solitary most important component of any website, so it’s important to get this done part right. Your web page’s hierarchy is greatly reliant on the typography you select: how your headings, subheadings, and body text message follow an all-natural circulation and stay aesthetically distinctive in one another

Make sure the written text is legible (avoid flowery fonts!) and large enough (usually around 16px for your body).

Stick to only two fonts-and make sure they set well together!

Give your paragraphs some room to inhale between one another, and arranged enough top cushioning or margin on your headings to symbolize clear breaks in content.

Avoid long lines of text. It’s easier on the eye for paragraph lines to be approximately only 15 words long-and a little significantly less than that for mobile displays.

Serif fonts are usually best only in print-unless they may be found in large headlines on the net

4. Colors & Comparison Are Crucial

We’ve discussed color mindset at length, however, the idea bears duplicating. The colors you select for your website play a massive role in how users understand your brand, as well as how motivated they could feel in taking action (i.e.: buying things) through your website. Why? Well, every color evokes certain feelings, and either for their natural character or by social fitness, these colors have grown to be associated with certain types of businesses. If a children’s toy company or a financial consultant painted their whole website in the stark dark, it could send the incorrect indicators with their meant viewers. Around the flipside, a shiny orange or an enjoyable blue, respectively, would catch the perfect firmness and consciousness for his or her customers.

If you’ve already established the colors of your brand, use those on your website then. It’s best, however, to keep it at only three colors for your site; like fonts, you don’t want to overdo it here or your site could finish up with multiple personality disorder. Also, be skeptical of way too many splashes of color across your website; our eye is attracted to them like honey traps, plus they could interrupt the natural movement of your articles. Use color only once it is most needed, such as links or control keys.

In contrast, your text message must stick out from the backdrop. Using light greys, yellows or greens for your fonts will likely render them unseen on the web page. Black on the white background is the foremost combination of comparison and is normally what you ought to stick to.

Additionally, you want your text message to pop against background images. Using very occupied photos can distract from the written text, to avoid this issue either use less comprehensive photos or use an overlay of, say, rgba(51,51,51,0.5)to help soften the image within the text.

Contrast also is important in how users are attracted to certain important elements of your site. Your most significant call-to-action control keys must get attention through the use of contrasting colors. A blue “Buy Now!” button manages to lose its urgency and well worth it when it's swallowed by a niche site that uses blue everywhere-but a red button on that same web page grabs a user’s attention by shouting “Hey! Click me!”

5. Using Pictures

Deciding on the best images to use on your website partly boils down to your artistic aptitude, but there are also intellectual considerations to consider that should assist with your selection process. First of all, avoid embellishing your site with extraneous photos because they could look nice. Instead, think of how each image you utilize serves its purpose, and how it functions as content. A well-chosen picture can convey your brand, service, product, or audience a lot more effectively than words. Use photos to help your users understand something, to evoke feelings, or even to inspire trust and self-confidence; with them solely for visual reasons should be supplementary.

Understanding Document Types & Compression

There can be an extra step that must be taken for using images on the net. Those elegant photos you have from sites like Shutterstock and iStock could be very substantial (5,000+ horizontal pixels and 10+ megabytes in proportions) which is okay for printing, but they’re unfit for websites. Not everyone has superfast Dietary fiber Internet, and that means you must decrease the size of your images to support for launching times (not forgetting 40% of site visitors will leave if the website takes much longer than 3 mere seconds to weight!). Typically, you want to keep each of your images at no more than 500 kilobytes in proportions, though your average quality should of times be around 100 kilobytes.

JPEG is the typical format for photos. It is a lossy format, this means its image quality is reduced when compressed. If you’re utilizing a JPEG for a full-width history image I quickly recommend keeping its horizontal quality at a minimum of 1200px. For general purposes, stay away from any image with significantly less than 600px horizontal quality, as it'll likely show up blurry on modern displays.

PNG is the most well-liked choice for images or for images that want transparency. It is a lossless format, which is ideal for keeping image quality but may also greatly increase document sizes. Generally, you’ll use PNG images for illustrations, symbols, or smaller images that may be stacked together with other elements for their transparency. You’ll hardly ever need a PNG to be bigger than 1000px.

SVG (Scalable Vector Image) is a more recent format that is changing GIF and even PNG in some instances. SVG wonders that it could be as large or as small onscreen as you will need it to be, all while keeping perfect clearness and crispness (but still be a little quality). You should think about using SVG for just about any logo design, icon, or vector visual on your website; as high DPI shows are becoming commonplace, the sharpness of SVG provides the best image quality.

6. Mobile-First Design

We’ve now reached a period where most people consume online quite happy with their cell phones rather than on the desktop computer. As a total result, there is much larger precedence in web site design to tailor specifically to the mobile experience, which has resulted in the “mobile-first” design viewpoint.

This means that essentially, throughout your initial sketching and planning phase in some recoverable format, it is best to focus on the site’s mobile layout first. Only the most crucial content necessary for the functioning of your site will be displayed on smaller screens. This causes you to simplify your design and slice out any distracting elements immediately. Think back again to your “above the flip” content: if you first ensure that the important info can fit on the original screen of the phone, then you’ll know for several it'll fit on bigger displays. Once you’ve nailed the fundamental mobile layout, you'll be able to start adding in embellishments or bigger images for desktop displays.

Your mobile layout assumes a far more vertical design that inspires scrolling, as opposed to the wide landscape of the desktop. If, say, your product web page displays entries in a grid of 3 across on desktops, then usually your mobile layout will display them as only a single column.

Yes, which means that you essentially need to produce several layouts for every web page of your website. Fortunately, a worthwhile website contractor should provide reactive templates that change these designs automatically so you’ll then just need to fine-tune them.

7. Keep Things Aligned

When elements appear sporadically laid across your site it is often due to an alignment issue. Imagine your website on the sheet of graph paper. Individual it into even columns by sketching, for example, six right lines. You now want to ensure that the remaining sides of your elements are distributed and aligned to only these six vertical lines.

8. Keep It Simple

It is said that the best web site design moves unnoticed; it is a poor design that phone calls focus on itself. As stated earlier, the main facet of any website is merely its text message. If you can offer outstanding typography that is a joy to learn, you won’t do much more. Wanting to overdesign your site will just mess and complicate things.

Are the package shadows necessary? The crazy, ornate patterns? A large number of colors? Not probably.

9. Big Open up Spaces

Your articles need room to breathe. White space is the prevailing design choice for modern websites: wide, open up areas of nothingness to pad areas between content. It’s a far more pleasant way to process information, looked after stimulates you to eliminate superfluous text messages and images to keep carefully the site clean.

Get more advice Thought Media is a leading Chicago web design providing professional website development services, and one of the top SEO companies. The agency has worked with hundreds of clients all over the world! Creating high converting website designs, providing reliable website hosting, and successful Search Engine Optimization Marketing campaigns!

Conclusion

Web site design can be considered a sprawling field of technology to learn, ideas to practice, dialects to review, and artistry to understand. Only with experience will all of these components start to make sense, however, you already are well on the way simply by grasping the basics of why is a good website work. I am hoping that guide acts as your launching-off point, which offers you the self-confidence to consider your website into the own hands and build it just how that only a business proprietor knows best.

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occhiolismatic · 6 years ago

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STARKER SPIDER-MAN KISS

The first time it had beenPeter’s fault, the pitiful failed attempt at kissing Tony Stark. Quite frankly,both times were nothing but a shit show, but somewhere poor, foolish Peter hadgotten lucky.

He planned it from the beginning: swoop down over Mr. Stark’scafé table, tease it just right by lowering himself barely in front of Mr.Stark’s face, utter something sly, and get the kiss – a cheesy, upside down..cliché, what-he-wanted kiss. It was a kiss the boy fantasized about, a kiss hehad awaited, dreamed of even. Only… his plan, believed to foolproof, had itsflaws.

“Kid, you’re causing a scene,” Tony set down his drink, unsurprisinglya full-out coffee during midday.

“What? No. I’m not,” Peter smiled through the mask, hoistinghimself inches in front of the man’s face.

“Yes, you are.”

Peter shook his head all bubbly, voice giddy enough to suggest asmile, “You’re lying.”

Tony, previously avoiding any sort of “eye contact”, now cockedhis head to look Peter in the eyes – as much as eyes counted for when the boyhid his identity. “Really? Say that to the little girl standing across thestreet showing her mommy Spider-Man.” He leaned. “Say that to the indoor staffand line of people pointing, racing to their phones to be the first one to posta photo of the famous Spider-Man on their Twitters or Facebooks,” he sipped, “orwhatever it is you kids use these days.”

As much as he wanted to claim he did, Peter really hadn’tthought this through, well some of the aspects. Having completely forgottenabout the whole superhero thing, people were absolutely watching, and rightthen and there it was all eyes on Peter, “I’m not the one who made the suit brightred.”

Tony gave him a look, a signature look that told the kid toclose his mouth.

Peter just wanted a smooch from Tony Stark, is that so hard? Really,come on? He opened his mouth, dragging out a muffled “yeah” from behind thesuit fabric, the suit Mr. Stark had created specifically for him, but Peterknew when to stop talking, so he let his lips meet. Thank heavens for the mask,otherwise Tony might’ve picked up on the reddest hint of blush-dusted ears anda face very similar in color.

“Can I help you? If my receipt serves me correctly, I didn’torder one spiderling dangling over my coffee.”

“Um- yeah-” he cleared histhroat. To make matters worse, Peter hadn’t thought of what he’d say. He spentso much time trying to track down Tony’s schedule, he didn’t think to come up with a slick pick-up or one liner. Hecoughed through the pounding awkwardness, and Tony leaned further forward inhis chair, eyebrows pushing together out of confusion, knowing in the depths ofhis heart where this was actually headed.

With an atmosphere growing cold, or maybe it was just the chillspacing Peter’s heart, he had fucked up.

“Are youu-” Peter’s voicetrailed, senses suddenly becoming distracted by a thousand different soundsoriginating throughout New York. “Are you.. a spider-” Fucking hell. “Because I would smash- wait, no.” Tonguesliding over teeth, Tony appeared more than amused. “Because if you were Iwould want to smash-”

“Smash me?” Tony questioned.

“-smash you.”

Peter dropped roughly anotherinch or two, grip loosening on the webbing holding up his bodyweight. “WAITNO-” The panic set in as feet flailed to grab back on. “I’m- I’m the bug- Imean insect-” He raised a hand to his head, pressing on a temple, hard. Think,Peter, think. “I MEAN SPIDER-” He then mumbled all sorts of curse words,demeaning phrases and the like, silently hating himself and wishing he hadn’tjust spoken such stupid words in front of his childhood crush.

“Language.”

“That’s.. that’s not what I meant.” Peter attempted to clarify,becoming nothing but a weeping goo of nerves.

“Oh but you said it.”

“Mr. Stark,” he pleaded, desperate to save himself. “You knowthat’s not what I was getting at.”

“Do I?”

Murmured excuses fading with the sounds of the on and outgoingtraffic, Peter fell silent. He watched Tony turn to a pedestrian and wave atthe boy drooping down, voice slow and cocky as he announced his superhero name.He made it sound as though the passerby should have been shocked, almost like a“check-this-guy-out” move. The civilian undoubtedly hadn’t been anticipating seeing Spider-Man suspended so dangerously close to an outdoor café space – orin Tony Stark’s face at that – and when Peter picked up on the tone in Mr. Stark’svoice, that’s when he stopped thinking.

His clutch on the webbingsporadically unclasped and Peter dipped, hitting his head on the table,knocking over Mr. Stark’s drink, and it took a moment for the rest of his bodyto follow suit, landing directly on the material with a loud crash, slackedfibers following down after him, sprinkling his body in sticky netting,certainly planned by the famous Peter Parker.

Disappointed, Peter groaned and grabbed onto the bump probablyalready forming on the top his head, attempting to rid his mind of theear-splitting, ringing noise pinging around in there. Limbs twisted in everywhich way possible, he let out a cry but rolled off the table, scrambling tohis feet.

When he finally came to, when the pain slightly subsided, theboy was met with an exasperated sigh, a quick intake of breath, and the sightof Tony standing, gathering what little belongings he had and preparing to headout.

“Appreciate the stunt,” he said, pushing in his chair. There wasno doubtful nerve in Peter’s little, buzzed mind that there wasn’t going to beheadlines and news articles showering the internet, images and videos of himshamefully face planting onto notable Tony Stark’s table. And there were, theredefinitely were. At least no one would know it was Peter, and he’d live anotherday in hiding, but Ned knew, as did Tony.

The second time Peter made sure to think things through a little bit more.

“What are you doing kid?” Tony said without peeling his eyesfrom the scattered pieces of metal and intricate technologies displayed beforehim. He was working in the lab, tinkering on a personal project or some suitupgrades.

“How did you know it was me?”

“If judgement serves correctly,” he looked up. “You’re the onlyspider kid capable of getting into my lab, and besides, I have Jarvis.”

Peter would have rolled his eyes, but now wasn’t the time.Instead of sporting Stark tech, he wore regular clothing, and he almost wishedhe had the mask, somewhat to hide the nervousness poetically drawn on his face,and partially to hide painted, almond hues from frantically darting back andforth between Tony’s drawn lips with the stern look he wore in the face of anunexpecting teenager. His mouth was right there, and it was so close.

“Oddly enough, this seemsquite familiar. Can I help you, Mr. Parker?”

It certainly should have been more consensual; there should havebeen some form of communication between actions, but Peter wanted it so badly,and hanging there in front of Mr. Stark so perfectly angled, Peter had to haveit. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer, so it was all or nothing, it wasTony or nothing, but edging closer, drawing out the silence, anxious thoughtsbundling up into the tightest knot, Peter chickened out.

“Mr. Stark, am I an embarrassment to you?” Shocked, Tonyadjusted his weight. Peter meant every word though. It wasn’t just being a kidintern at Stark Industries that worried Peter, it was his second life, his lifeas Spider-Man.

“Pardon me?”

“Am I an embarrassment to you? You know… do you not want to beseen in public with me? Because I’m a kid and not some serious adult?”

Tony pondered for a second, “Now just hold on there-”

Peter had yet to move from his fixed position over Tony’s labbench: “Yes or no.”

“Peter, I’m not going to answer that question.”

“So you are,” Peterconcluded. He didn’t have the balls to do it. It was stupid of him to believesomeone like Tony could possibly have feelings for a kid like him, a child likePeter. Tony was older, experienced, he knew what he was doing, he didn’t needsome leech, or some spider, hanging off him all the time.

“Peter, I know what this is about,” Tony admitted, tossing downthe tiniest of steel tools.

“You do?” He instantaneously grew intrigued, no longer stuck onbeing a humiliating sore. He swayed, fucking tossed for Tony Stark. “I-I’m, I’mreally honestly shocked.”

“Don’t be, it’s not much of a shock-”

“I mean, all this time you knew? You knew how badly I wanted it?How horrifying it was?” He grimaced, subconsciously looking to the corners ofthe room as the lid popped off. “I mean yeah, sometimes I want to squish your stern,grumpy face and kiss your nice lips or run my fingers through your hair, whichis by the way-” He pursed, bouncing forward. “Permission to curse?”

“Go-”

“-always fucking fantastic,and I- yeah I’m not experienced and I’m probably no good at kissing anyways,but you are, well I think you would be, I mean look at your lips, have you.. haveyou seen them? Thin but not too thin, the perfect amount of pink and softness,of course you have, and I just figured maybe in some way or another,” Peter’s voice spiked fouroctaves, coming to a squeak. “You could be the one to teach me the ropes, and-”

Tony was kissing him, pulling Peter in by falling strands ofsilky brown hair, pressing gentle, midsentence lips against the boy’s, and itwas causing the kid to choke, to gasp into the other’s mouth. It wasn’t cute,but Peter didn’t know any better. Tonywas actually kissing him. Immature eyes open, Peter stood, well he hung, in shock, startled, too nervous to doanything, to move, to breathe. He felt warmth plague the entirety of his body, wellin his cheeks, and it took a moment for him to melt against Tony’s goldentouch, to slam his eyes shut and press into the older man’s fine lips. Awkwardnesseasing away, it was a simple kiss, meaningful yet passionately quick, just enoughfor a good inhale of each other’s breaths, oxygen Peter would gladly give.

And if it weren’t for Tony pulling away, breaking off with a wetpop, Peter wouldn’t have hesitated to let the peck last all day.

When Tony did back up,swivel in his chair to look at Peter dangling all pretty and flustered, pupilsdilated and large, he smiled, patting the kid on the warmest part of his cheek,“All you had to do was ask kindly.” Broken record shut down, for once Tony’s protégéwas speechless. “Say, kiddo, what are you hanging off of anyways?”

Blinking out of a trance, Peter’s lips parted and still plump,he followed Mr. Stark’s eyes to the ceiling where they converged on the hanginglamp, enough movement to break the wires under the kid’s weight and send Peterflying down onto the table. Once again, he groaned out of sheer pain, and itleft Tony baffled, covering the top half of his face with a needy palm. He hadjust kissed that loveable dumbass.

Looking down, now sort of eye level with the boy, he sighed, “Youknow, once you stand and clean up this mess, if you want to try that again,only less awkward this time, I’d be more than happy to oblige.”

#starker #tony stark #peter parker #marvel #peter parker x tony stark

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